Curried Mung Bean Soup, Kimchi, Chili Oil

mung bean soup, kimchi

Curried Mung Bean Soup, Kimchi, Chili Oil
and
A Trip to The Dish Factory

Neither this soup nor a trip to The Dish Factory are for the faint of heart. Asian-fusion-style mung bean soup is flavored with hot muchi curry powder, garnished with pungent kimchi, and dotted with chili oil. Located in the center of Downtown LA, The Dish Factory is housed in an old four-story building with rickety flooring, steep stairwells, and dark hallways.

Carrying the largest china inventory in the Western US and all sorts of restaurant equipment with 60,000 sq. ft. of merchandise at heavily discounted prices, I was absolutely ecstatic when my dear friends and fabulous restaurateurs Scott & Gina Lee invited me to join them on a dish excursion. I had been lusting after top restaurants’ super-wide rimmed plates and bowls for a while, as the portion-size is petite but the presentation is dramatic. Perfect, in fact, for this vibrant soup.

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mini curried squash soup, unique garnishes

a 3 oz. portion of spicy curried butternut squash soup with creme fraiche
garnished with toasted coconut, chopped cashews, dried pomegranate arils

As I tinker with my table setting ideas for our holiday parties
here’s what’s been playing on the stereo:

This year’s Christmas Compilation is a mix of classic and contemporary.

Play List
Dean Martin – A Marshmallow World
Rod Stewart & Dolly Parton – Baby It’s Cold Outside
Bing Crosby – It’s Beginning to Look Like Christmas
The Christmas Party Singers – Mary’s Boy Child/Oh My Lord
Eartha Kitt – Santa Baby
Elvis Presley – Blue Christmas
Jimmy Buffett – Mele Kalikimaka
Barbra Steisand – Jingle Bells?
The Carpenters – Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
Andy Williams – It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year
The Beach Boys – Little Saint Nick
Frank Sinatra – White Christmas
U2 – Christmas, Baby Please Come Home
Louis Armstrong – Winter Wonderland
The Carpenters – Merry Christmas Darling
Elvis Presley – Here Comes Santa Claus
Stevie Nicks – Silent Night
The Carpenters – The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire)
Johnny Mathis with the Percy Faith Orchestra – Sleigh Ride
Jimmy Buffett – Christmas in the Caribbean
Burl Ives – Holly Jolly Christmas

What are you listening to as you bake cookies, trim your tree, and plan your holiday menus?

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Green Curry Soup

Green Curry Soup
Tofu, Chicken, and Peas
Basil and Scallion Garnish
  • 1 1/2 c. coconut milk
  • 1 1/2 c. chicken stock
  • 2 T. green curry paste
  • 1 c. diced chicken breast
  • 1 c. cubed tofu
  • 1/2 c. frozen peas
  • 1 T. fish sauce
  • 1 T. sugar
  • 1 sliced green chile (Thai, serrano, or jalapeño)
  • 2 kaffir lime leaves, thinly sliced into slivers
  • basil and scallion for garnish

Heat coconut milk and chicken stock together. Stir in curry paste. Add chicken and kaffir lime leaves. When chicken is cooked, season with fish sauce and sugar. Taste, adjust seasoning to balance the sweet, spicy, sour, salty flavors. Add chile, tofu and frozen peas and heat through. Serve garnished with a chiffonade of basil and sliced scallion.
A vegetarian version made with vegetable stock, omitting the chicken, and substituting light soy sauce for fish sauce is also very tasty.

This little fellow is my Kaffir Lime Tree, planted last Fall. The wrinkled limes are way too sour to eat but the leaves and zest are perfect to season my Thai dishes. The green curry soup recipe is adapted from a basic recipe we learned in Thailand a few years ago at the fabulous Pattaya Thai Cooking School.

Kaffir Lime leaves are easily distinguished by their double-lobes and very fragrant aroma.

Voilà! A very flavorful and easy to make soup!

This Green Curry Soup with its tofu and green peas is my entry to My Legume Love Affair. It has been my pleasure to be your hostess for this month’s edition. The round-up will be posted on June 7th. Please do stop by to Taste With The Eyes the exciting legume dishes from around the world. Many thanks to Susan, The Well-Seasoned Cook for inviting me to do the honors. And be sure to visit Apu of Annarasa blog for more beans in June!