A great way to get your five a day into one meal and still feel excited to tuck in after a long hard day, this veggie laska recipe couldn’t be tastier or simpler. You don’t have to use a jar of thai red curry paste, but if you’re cooking on a weeknight – or just can’t be fudged – you’ll want to follow suit.
The toppers I’ve picked include sweet potato (which I often switch out for skin-crispy butternut squash), spring onion, chilli, bamboo shoots and roasted cauliflower. Really though, just use your personal faves or whatever leftovers you’ve got from the weekend roast. In the soup, I’ve used sweet red pepper and spinach, which I’d recommend sticking with.
Noodle-wise, opt for fat or flat ones as they’ll fare better in the liquid and hang on to it a bit better for a more flavourful, slurpy mouthful.
Be generous with the lime is my last tidbit, otherwise, just crack on!
Makes enough for 2-3
You’ll need:
2 tbsp red Thai curry paste
1 tin coconut milk
500ml veggie stock (if you’re not vegetarian, chicken stock gives it a nice flavour)
1 tbsp lime juice plus a whole lime cut into quarters for serving
200g flat rice noodles
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into bite-size chunks
1 whole cauliflower, stalk removed and cut into florets
Pinch of paprika
1 red/orange pepper, cut into strips
Handful of spinach
1 green chilli, sliced
1 red chilli, sliced
Bamboo shoots
4-5 spring onions, green bits pulled off and chopped
Handful fresh coriander, chopped
The first step is a really easy one. Spread the sweet potato and cauliflower across one or two baking trays, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt, pepper and a little paprika and cook in the oven on a medium heat for 35-35 minutes, so they’re soft but not mushy.
Meanwhile, make the soup. Heat a little oil in a large pan and when it starts to sizzle, add the curry paste. It should spit and hiss a bit but don’t let it burn. Stir it around the pan for 5-8 minutes and once the smell has well and truly got up in your schnozz, add the coconut milk. Stir well.
Let the paste and coconut milk combine for 10 minutes, then add the stock, pepper, spinach and most of the chillis. Stir and let it bubble on a medium heat for another 10 minutes. Partially cover it so you don’t lose all your tasty broth to the air,
When your veggies have been perfectly roasted, bring a pan of salty water to the boil and cook your noodles per packet instructions.
Divide the noodles between your serving bowls, then ladle in the soup, then add the veggies. Finish with a wedge of lime, spring onions, coriander leaves, bamboo shoots and any leftover chilli. A drizzle of chilli or garlic oil will also be great.
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