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Winter Soup Recipe Ideas Inspired by Asian Cuisine
These healthful, comforting soups are just the thing for a chilly winter day.
user ratingIn most cultures around the world, soups are a source of nurture and nourishment. Some are restorative and used for emotional or physical well-being. Chicken soup is the classic example, soothing for both colds and the soul.
Throughout Asia, aesthetics are often equally important, employing senses beyond taste. Elements for a recipe are chosen not only with an eye for how a soup looks—the colors and shapes in the bowl—but also for how it smells and how ingredients feel in the mouth. This effort gives soups an even greater versatility, introducing a host of ingredients and styles that may be otherwise unfamiliar to the Western consumer.
One saleable aspect of many Asians soups is that they are ideal for customers who are lactose intolerant. Coconut milk, which is very popular in Thailand, Vietnam and Malaysia, is generally used instead of dairy products. Click on the image or link to view each recipe.
Spicy Chinese Beef Noodle Soup (Niu Rou Mian)
This robust soup is a perfect one-dish meal for cold weather. The mixture of beef, fine Asian noodles (or vermicelli) and spinach will appeal to many customers. While spicy, it is not a mouth-burning kind of heat.
Serves: 4 (12-ounce) portions
Cooking Time: 45 minutes
Thai Curried Coconut Fish Soup (Nam Yar Pa)
This curried fish soup—redolent of coconut milk, smoked fish, shrimp and exotic spices—is sturdy enough to eat as a main course. You may choose to add a small mound of rice to each bowl.
Serves: 4 (12-ounce) portions
Cooking Time: 35 minutes
Malaysian Chicken Laksa
Like many Malaysian dishes, this spicy chicken noodle soup starts with a fairly long list of ingredients, but this version is simpler and quicker to make than many. Adding sambal oelek (a chile pepper sauce) at the end allows customers with a taste for very spicy dishes to take it up to their comfort zone. Warn them, however, that it is quite hot. –Joanna Pruess
Serves: 4 (12-ounce) portions
Cooking Time: 30 minutes



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