Heaven help me.
This Rustic Thai Beef Soup makes me want to get the flu, just so I can stay home from work and eat bowl after bowl of it while watching Matlock.
I’ve got some weird Pavlovian complex where I crave chicken noodle soup and my mom every time I hear the theme song to either Matlock or Perry Mason. My family loves us some crime dramas!
About this soup: um, it’s amazing. It’s full of nutritious vegetables, hearty ground beef, and a rich and flavorful broth. Plus, it’s done in only a half hour!
You’re just sauteeing some curry paste, browning mushrooms and ground beef, throwing in some vegetables and liquid, and letting the magic happen.
You could absolutely substitute other vegetables depending on your preferences, but don’t leave out the fresh basil! The fresh tomatoes add a wonderful freshness to the soup and balance some of the spicy notes really well.
I love to serve Thai soup with a big, steaming bowl of jasmine rice. Just transfer some of the rice into the soup bowl one bite at a time, and use a large spoon to scoop up the grains along with the meat, broth, and vegetables.
I know you can’t wait any longer to try this for yourself, so here’s the recipe:
The Wanderlust Kitchen
Yields 8
5 minPrep Time
25 minCook Time
30 minTotal Time
Save RecipeIngredients
- 3 Tbsp. grapeseed or vegetable oil
- 2 Tbsp. garlic, chopped
- 3 Tbsp. red curry paste
- 1 c. sliced fresh white mushrooms, rinsed and patted dry
- 1 lb. ground beef
- 5 c. beef broth
- 1 c. green beans, cut into 1" lengths
- 2 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/2” half-circles
- 4 wild lime leaves (optional)
- 3 Tbsp. fish sauce
- 1 Tbsp. brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
- 1 bunch of basil (Holy basil if you can find it), roughly chopped
- 3 Tbsp. chili-garlic sauce
- 2 ripe tomatoes, cut into large chunks
- Jasmine rice for serving
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat, then add the garlic and curry paste and stir well. Cook for 2-3 minutes, breaking up the large pieces of curry paste with the back of a spoon.
- Add in the mushrooms and let brown, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes. Add in the ground beef then use your spoon to break up the meat into large chunks.
- Reduce heat to medium, and add in the broth, green beans, zucchini, lime leaves, fish sauce, brown sugar, salt, and pepper. Let the soup come to a boil over medium heat, then cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.
- Turn the heat off and stir in the basil leaves and chili-garlic sauce. Serve with jasmine rice and tomato chunks.
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