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If you are not familiar with Asian culture, you may find that it’s very odd to be eating rice or noodles for breakfast early in the morning. While I can’t say all Asians do that (some skip breakfast. I’m definitely not one of them lol!), however, rice and noodles always find ways to the tables in the morning, noon and night. Just like how cereals and toasts in Americans’ breakfast menu.
The Thais eat rice vermicelli for breakfast. Surprised I’m not. If you don’t think you can stomach a rice vermicelli soup with fish early in the morning, don’t worry, you can always make this for lunch or dinner.The noodles are seasoned with spices, and raw vegetables are placed on top. Hot steaming stock is poured over everything. This is just a perfect breakfast for me, or for anytime of the day..really!
THAI RICE VERMICELLI SOUP WITH FISH
Ingredients
- 6 oz firm white fish fillet such as sea bass or halibut
- 2 cups water
- 4 oz dried rice noodles
- ¼ lb Chinese long beans or green beans cut into 1 1/2-inch lengths
- ¼ lb savoy cabbage shredded
- 3 cups unsweetened coconut milk
- 2 tsp fish sauce
- 2 tsp sugar
- ¼ lb fresh bean sprouts
- Spice paste
- 1 stalk lemongrass bottom 5 to 6 inches only
- 3 walnut-size shallots
- 2 cloves garlic
- 3 dried red chilis seeded
- 1 oz salted fish sliced
- 2 tsp chopped galangal
- 1 tsp shrimp paste
- ⅓ cup water
Instructions
- Place fish and water in a small pan. Bring to a boil, decrease heat, and simmer until fish just begin to flake, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove fish, reserving liquid. Flake fish with a fork and set aside. Soak rice noodles in warm water to cover for 15 minutes; drain. Cook noodles in a large pot of boiling water until tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Drain, rinse, drain again
- To make spice paste, thinly slice lemongrass. Place in a blender with shallots, garlic, chilis, salted fish, galangal, shrimp paste, and water; process until smooth
- Cook beans and cabbage in boiling water until tender-crisp, 2 minutes. Drain, rinse, and rinse again. In a 3-quart pan, combine spice paste with 2 cups coconut milk. Bring to a boil; cook for about 1 minute. Add reserved fish liquid and remaining 1 cup coconut milk; bring to a boil and cook for 2 minutes. Decrease heat and simmer for 5 minutes more. Add fish, fish sauce, and sugar, cook for 30 seconds
- To serve, arrange noodles, beans, cabbage, and bean sprouts on a platter, Ladle coconut mixture over serve
