Perserving: Cal 278; fat 2 g; carb 54 g

You might need to buy:
  • olive oil
  • curry powder
  • chopped carrots

Naomi Duguid and Jeffrey Alford have trekked through most of Asia, photographing and cooking with tribesmen, local women, and street vendors, then sharing recipes from their adventures in award-winning cookbooks like Flatbreads and Flavors (William Morrow, 1995) and Mangoes and Curry Leaves (Artisan, 2005). I think they will forgive me for adding green beans and straw mushrooms to their recipe for the nourishing but minimal vegetable soup they ate at a truck-stop on the Plain of Jars in Laos.
Adapted from Hot Sour Salty Sweet: A Culinary Tour Through Southeast Asia, by Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid (Artisan, 2000).

Fast Fact: In Asia, fish sauce is considered so indispensable in dishes that many vegetarian cooks use it
Quick Tip: For variety, make this soup using prepared mushroom broth or instant miso.

serves 4
You might need to buy:
  • coarsely chopped Savoy cabbage
  • cauliflower florets
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper
  • fresh ginger
  • chicken or vegetable broth