Yellow Curry Noodle Soup with Braised Radish and Eggplant

Thai eggplants

After my long spring bike ride today, I found myself craving noodles.  Delicious, spicy warm Asian rice noodles with fragrant basil and lemon zest.  I stopped at Star Market, a local ethnic food store with an amazing selection of Asian vegetables, curries and noodles.   I wandered the aisles pondering the piles of fresh cucumbers, lettuces and root vegetables, passing up ethnic pastries and grocery sacks of baguettes for 1.79 (the entire bag, that is).  A nice choice of eggplant included the common purples, large and small, but also shiny green Thai eggplants with glowing golden stars on their faces.  PERFECT!  I have that nice bag of fresh radishes to roast at home, so I’m set!

Yellow Curry Noodle Soup with Braised Radish and Eggplant

Simmer on medium for 15 minutes:

2 quarts strong vegetable  broth (or 2 quarts water with 2 heaping tbsp vegetable Better than Bullion)
3 slices medium onion
6 Thai eggplants, trimmed and quartered
½ tbsp yellow curry paste (no oil)

Meanwhile, prepare braised radishes:

10 radishes, trimmed and quartered

Pour a ½ cup of broth into your non-stick pan and simmer the radishes for 10 minutes (covered).  Remove lid and let liquid boil off and allow radishes to brown just a bit.

Back to the soup pot!  To the broth, add:

¼ pkg rice stick noodles (4 oz.)  I use Bun Gao brand Rice Sticks, but any thin asian noodle will do nicely!

Simmer for 6-8 minutes.   Correct seasoning.  Fill your bowl with noodles and some broth.  Arrange the eggplant and radishes on top.

Garnish with:

Thinly sliced green onions
Lemon zest of 1 lemon
Chopped fresh basil