Thukpa- Nepalese Noodle Soup

If you live in SF then you know about the hot mess known as the Ramen Festival. My poor ramen-loving hubby and his buddies set off in the hopes that their long journey to Japantown would be rewarded with a delicious bowl of ramen. But none was to be had. Instead they were met with 3-4 hour waits on a long line for an $8 bowl of ramen. Ain’t NOBODY got time for that. So he left and played Settlers of Catan for 10 hours with this friends. To make him feel a bit better I decided to make a ramen-like soup for him. I even cracked an egg on his! I am not a fan of eggs so I left it out in my bowl. Thukpa is a Nepalese noodle soup with a delicious Indian spiced broth. It takes about 15 minutes to make and tastes even better the next day! After this meal my husband completely forgot about his ramen trouble.

Cook time: 15 minutes                                                           Makes: 2-3 servings

75 g noodles
¼ cup red onion, diced
½ small green chili, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon ginger, minced
½ cup cabbage, shredded into ½ inch strips
1 medium tomato, diced
1 small carrot, Julienne
½ tbsp. vegetable oil
½ tsp cumin seeds
½ tsp red chili powder
¼ tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp garam masala
3 cups vegetable stock
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro or scallions (optional)

1. Bring a large lot of water to boil. Cook noodles according to package instructions. Drain the noodles and set aside.

2. While the noodles cook,  heat the oil on medium-high in a medium saucepan. Add cumin seeds and stir. When they start to pop, add onions and cook 1 to 2 minutes until translucent. Reduce the heat to medium-low and add garlic,ginger and green chili paste, stirring 1 minute.

3. Add cabbage, tomato, and carrots to the saucepan with salt to taste, stirring for 1 minute. Add red chili powder,garam masala, and turmeric. Stir for an extra minute. This will cook the spices and allow them to release their flavors.

4. Add vegetable stock to the saucepan and stir. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 10 minutes. To serve, ladle the soup on top of a bowl of noodles and garnish with chopped cilantro or scallion. Enjoy!

Share this Post! 70001