Cougar’s Thai Chickenless Noodle Soup
(Serves two hungry people)
Ingredients
75g creamed coconut
1L veggie stock
1tbsp vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
175g Quorn sweet chilli strips
1tsp turmeric
1/2tsp hot chilli powder
30ml (1rounded tbsp) crunchy peanut butter
30ml (2tbsp) lemon juice
60g fine egg noodles
1tsp coriander (or 1tbsp fresh)
1tbsp spring onions, chopped
Black pepper
Garnish
Desiccated coconut
Dried chilli flakes
Method
Dissolve the creamed coconut into the hot stock. This takes a while. Thoroughly mix in the peanut butter so that there’s no clumps.
Meanwhile, fry the chopped garlic in the oil for a couple of minutes, in a large soup pan on a medium heat. When the garlic starts to brown, add the Quorn strips, turmeric and chilli powder. Fry for five minutes, stirring constantly to prevent the Quorn from sticking.
Add the stock / coconut mix to the pan, stir and then add the lemon juice and noodles. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
Add the coriander, spring onions and a few twists of black pepper, and allow to simmer for another five minutes.
Whilst the soup is finishing cooking, make the garnish. Fry a spoonful of desiccated coconut together with a sprinkling of chilli flakes in a dry frying pan, stirring constantly until the coconut turns brown but not burned.
Decant the soup into bowls, and sprinkle with a little of the garnish. Serve with the rest of the garnish separate to allow seasoning to taste; chilli flakes are hot.
(For a carnivorous version, substitute the Quorn for chicken.)