Red Curry Noddles with Shrimp & Crispy Mushrooms
We got our first snow in Chicago much earlier than usual – by October 31, the colorful fall trees were covered in inches of snow. As beautiful as that looked, it always feels unfair when the snow comes. It’s unfair that fall feels like it’s over, that summer was so short, and that we all have to dust off our bulky coats and hats that ruin our hair. I have lived in Chicago through 20 winters now and no matter how early or late the snow comes, it always feels like a grave injustice. One of the few upsides is some of my favorite foods are soups, stews, and other comforting things you’d serve in a bowl, so to cope with the cold, I am leaning in.
We all have different definitions of what a pantry staple is – my pantry always has at least two types of canned Thai curry paste, red and green, and cans of coconut milk. Get these ingredients and you are only a few steps away from some delicious Thai curry. For these red curry noodles, I used the vegetables I had in my fridge and some shrimp. You can substitute any of the vegetables in this recipe for others you like more. The curry is great with noodles, but rice works just as well.
There are a few key techniques that make these noodles a standout –
Making a quick broth with the shrimp shells and ginger adds an extra depth of flavor than using water.
Browning the mushrooms separately and adding them at the end adds a great textural element, as opposed to boiling them in the curry with the other sturdier vegetables.
Keeping an eye on the vegetables so as not to overcook them into a mush also helps the texture of the dish.
The recipe can feel a bit overwhelming at first glance, but I recommend reading the recipe through first so that you can execute some of these steps simultaneously, as I have noted in my instructions. For something that seems complex, it takes only about 30 minutes to put together.
Serves 2
Ingredients
2-4 oz soba, egg or rice noodles
10-12 shell-on shrimp
1 small knob of ginger, roughly smashed
2 tbsp vegetable oil, divided
2 tbsp red curry paste
2/3 cup coconut milk
2 tsp fish sauce
1 yellow, red, orange bell pepper, thinly sliced
2 cups mushrooms (I used shiitake, oyster, and baby bella), sliced to your liking
12-14 green beans, ends trimmed and cut into thirds diagonally
1/2 cup green peas
1 cup basil leaves, roughly chopped
1 lime
Method
Prepare the shrimp and make a quick broth. Remove the shells and devein the shrimp. Set aside the shrimp. Take the shrimp shells and place them in a medium pot and add 3 cups of water. Add the ginger, cover the lid, and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Let simmer for 15 mins and turn off the heat. Using a mesh strainer, strain the broth into a bowl and discard the shells and ginger.
While the broth simmers, prepare the mushrooms. Heat a wide skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tbsp of oil and once the oil is smoking, spread the mushrooms out in the pan. Brown undisturbed for 5 mins. Then stir them in the pan, lower the heat to medium, and brown for another 3 mins. Turn off the heat, sprinkle some salt, squeeze some lime juice, mix well, and set aside.
Now, make the curry. Heat a medium pot over medium heat (so medium!). Add 1 tbsp of the oil and once shimmering, add the curry paste to the oil and stir it frequently for 2-3 mins to cook off the raw smell and build depth. Next, add the coconut milk and fish sauce to the pot, stir well, and let it come to a simmer over 10 mins. Next, add about 2 cups of shrimp broth to the pot (use more if you want more soup) and let it cook for another 10 mins, stirring every few minutes. Increase the heat to medium high and add the shrimp, bell peppers and green beans; let cook for 5-8 mins, or until the vegetables are tender but not mushy. Lastly, add the peas, basil leaves, and lime juice, and mix through for about 2 mins. Turn off the heat and let the curry settle for 10 mins on the kitchen counter.
While the curry is cooking, prepare the noodles according to the package instructions. Rinse the noodles in cold water, toss in a few drops of oil, and set aside until you are ready to assemble.
To assemble, divide the noodles into two bowls and top with the curry. Top with the browned mushrooms and finish with a squeeze of lime!
