But, I’m back and as usual, a new video every Thursday — and I’m starting with a super delicious Tom Yum Soup, inspired by Mark Wiens of EatingThaiFood.com. I’ve tweaked his recipe just a little bit, added in a source of starchy carbohydrates in the form of yellow Hokkien noodles, and a variety of vegetables, namely broccoli and carrots to make it healthier.
I’ve also substitute sugar with honey. Initially I was a little scared it’ll ruin the taste of the Tom Yum if I didn’t put sugar in like Mark did in his recipe, but it actually tastes awesome so I cannot wait for you to give it a go.
Just a little different this time, I’ve made this meal as a meal instead of a meal prep, so you won’t see me packing these up in containers like I normally do in my other recipes.
Based on feedback to from my earlier videos, I’ve added quick cooking tips in the instructions on how to make each dish because let’s face it, cooking can be a little tricky so I’ve used my experience in cooking the dish and pass it on to you so you can do the same.
On top of it all, it’s very important to me that each dish is not only delicious (and of course, Asian!), but it’s nutritious and balanced at the same time so you’ll get all the essential macro and micronutrients ticked in your diet.
I’m serious when I say I’m going to make Asian as healthy as possible so let’s do this.
First up after a loooong break — Chicken & Prawn Tom Yum Noodle Soup. I had an intense craving for something sour so this is it. Let’s go!
Chicken & Prawn Tom Yum Noodle Soup
Serves – 4
Time needed – 30-40 mins
Cost – ~$4.15 per serve
Here’s what you need:
- 1-1.5 litre water
- 2 stalk lemongrass, pounded
- 1/2 inch galangal, chopped
- 5-6 lime leaves, broken individually
- 5-6 Thai chillies, stem removed and cut in half
- 3 cloves garlic, peeled and halved
- 125g oyster mushroom
- 1 tomato, wedged
- 1 carrot, sliced
- 1 broccoli, chopped not too fine
- 1 white onion, wedged
- 1 tbsp honey
- 4-6 tbsp fish sauce
- 200g chicken breast, sliced
- 200g prawns, deveined
- Juice from 5 limes
- 400g yellow noodles, dipped in hot water and drained
Here’s how you do it:
- Begin by preparing the ingredients above and set aside. You can also do so when the water is boiling (Step 2) but I like to take my time and prepare it beforehand.
- Next, put 1 litre of water to a boil first. You need the remaining water later so set it aside.
- Just before the water boils, add in garlic, galangal, lemongrass, chillies and lime leaves. Cover the pot and let it boil for 10 mins. You can start smelling the herbs while it’s boiling — so good!
- Next, add in your protein. I had chicken and prawn so just toss it in the pot. At this point, turn your fire to low.
- Next, add your veggies. This part is a little tricky so you have to watch it. If you’re using the same amount of veggies as I did above, then add in the carrots first, broccoli next, followed by the onions and tomatoes and lastly your mushrooms. Because we’re using a ton of ingredients, add in more water to make it a little more soupy. About 200-300mls more should do.
- I’d let it cook for about 3-4 mins and then turn off the heat. It’s time to make your soup sweet and sour. First, add in 4 tbsp of fish sauce, followed by 1 tbsp of honey. Give it a stir and do a taste test. Add in more of the fish sauce (salty) or honey (sweet) if you feel like something is a miss (but also remember that adding in more of these two ingredients will alter the nutritional information below). I only added what I wrote in the ingredients above and that was just nice for me.
- Finally, pour in the juice from your limes. Give it a final stir and serve it with the noodles.
- Enjoy!
How much this costs:
*Keep in mind that this numbers are a rough guide. It depends on where you buy it and when. At the end of the day it’s possible to eat healthy without breaking the bank. Also, ~ denotes the items that should already be in your pantry for a long time or it’s a very small amount.
- 1-1.5 litre water ~
- Tom Yum Soup set from NTUC Finest $1.55
- 2 stalk lemongrass, pounded
- 1/2 inch galangal, chopped
- 5-6 lime leaves, broken individually
- 5-6 Thai chillies, stem removed and cut in half
- 3 cloves garlic, peeled and halved ~
- 250g oyster mushroom $1.10
- 1 tomato, wedged $0.67
- 1 carrot, sliced $0.10
- 1 broccoli, chopped not too fine $1.85
- 1 white onion, wedged $0.76
- 1 tbsp honey $0.40
- 4-6 tbsp fish sauce ~
- 200g chicken breast, sliced $2.00
- 200g prawns, deveined $4.26
- Juice from 5-6 limes $2.75
- 400g yellow noodles, dipped in hot water and drained $1.15
Total price = ~ $16.59
Price per serve = ~ $4.15
How much calories and macros:
Without noodles — Calories: 192, Protein: 29g, Carbohydrates: 15g, Fats: 10g
With noodles — Calories: 377, Protein: 35g, Carbohydrates: 50g, Fats: 11g
