Gaeng Khae (Spicy Thai Vegetable Soup)
This medicinal soup from the north of Thailand is believed to prevent and reduce colds and fever.
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The flavorful base is a hand-ground paste of chiles, garlic, lemongrass, and shallots. If you don’t have a mortar and pestle, blend all the ingredients in a food processor. Serve with brown or red rice.
Ingredients
Chile paste
- 15 dried chiles de arbol or Japones chiles
- 8 cloves garlic, peeled
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 2 stalks lemongrass, minced
- 2 shallots, minced (1/2 cup)
- 1 tsp. red miso
Soup
- 4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
- 2 Tbs. low-sodium soy sauce
- 1 1/2 cups sliced beet greens, Swiss chard, escarole, turnip greens, or kale
- 1 cup turnip or fennel chunks
- 1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
- 1 cup firm tofu chunks
- 1 cup coarsely chopped arugula
- 1/2 cup fresh mint leaves
- 1/4 cup coarsely chopped parsley
Preparation
To make Chile Paste:
- Soak chiles in bowl of boiling water 30 minutes. Drain, pat dry, and finely chop.
- Combine garlic and salt in mortar, and pound with pestle. Add lemongrass, shallots, miso, and chiles, pounding and crushing after each addition to make thick paste.
To make Soup:
- Bring broth to a boil in saucepan over high heat. Stir in soy sauce and Chile Paste. Add beet greens, turnip, and mushrooms, and bring to a boil. Cook 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 5 minutes. Add tofu, and cook 2 minutes more. Stir in arugula, mint, and parsley, and simmer 1 to 2 minutes, or until herbs wilt.
Nutrition Information
- Calories 126
- Carbohydrate Content 17 g
- Cholesterol Content 0 mg
- Fat Content 3 g
- Fiber Content 4 g
- Protein Content 9 g
- Saturated Fat Content 0.5 g
- Sodium Content 811 mg
- Sugar Content 4 g