Thai Vegetable Noodle Soup

We like trying new stuff, so when we noticed this College Inn Thai Coconut Curry broth, we bought it, not even sure how we'd use it. Luckily, the carton came with two recipes on the back, and we decided to try it. We needed more veggies in our diet, anyway. :-)

This recipe follows the basic recipe found on the back of the carton, but as usual, we tweaked it to suit our preference.

What you need:

• 1 1/2 cup diced cooked chicken
• 1 cup chopped Vidalia onion
• 2 cups broccoli florets
• 1/2 cup diced carrots
• 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon curry powder
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 2 small bundles of vermicelli
• 1 carton (32 oz) College Inn Thai Coconut Curry Broth
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 1 cup coconut milk

What to do:

In a pot, boil a breast (or two) of chicken in lightly salted water. Set aside.

In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, cook the onion, broccoli, carrots, ginger, curry and red pepper flakes in oil for around three minutes. Add the noodles, broth and lime juice. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to low.

Simmer for seven to ten minutes or until noodles are tender. Stir in coconut milk and diced chicken and heat through. Garnish with cilantro and green onions, and serve with lime wedges, if desired.

Tips, Tricks and Tweaks:

1. Fresh grated ginger works best, but you can always substitute it with powdered ground ginger. Use less, though, as the powdered ones are usually more concentrated.
2. Use thin spaghetti instead of vermicelli if you can't find the latter in your regular grocery store.
3. Want more heat? Make it a full teaspoon of red pepper flakes.
4. Experiment! Try adding other veggies like red potatoes or green bell pepper.
5. Squeezing a lime wedge on the soup gives it a bit of a kick!