Yellow Curry Vegetable Soup

Bags of pinakbet veggies we pick up at the market.

We've been on a strict diet for about 8 weeks now, only eating fresh fruit and veggies. Every three days or so we go to the market and pick up our "groceries" which usually consists of fruits, salad veggies (cucumbers, onions, tomatoes, a couple of bags of shredded carrots and sayote mix and and a couple of bags of shredded cabbage & carrots mix), and a couple of bags of pinakbet veggies to steam.

The other day, it was steam vegetable day for lunch, but I wasn't feeling it. I've been getting a bit tired of  eating the same type of stuff everyday, so I decided to switch it up and make a soup. I had two bags of the pinakbet vegetables and looked around to see what things I could use in the soup base.

Now, this isn't completely healthy because I did use a chicken bouillon cube, so it was a semi-cheat day for us. I threw some other things into the soup for more flavoring- and it came out really good! I had two huge servings and my husband had three!
The yellow curry really comes out in the broth and the Thai chilies put the perfect level of spice. The veggies soak up all the flavors and it's so good-- especially when you bite into the kalabasa because there's a hint of sweetness, too! This isn't your typical yellow curry dish as there is no coconut milk used-- it's only used here for flavoring.

Thai Chilies

Speaking of Thai chilies (or also known as "Bird's Eye Chili") these little babies pack A LOT of heat! A lot. I used three in our soup-- but we're  fans of spicy food. So if you're not a very spicy person, I'd suggest not using any (or use only 1 or 2, or a milder chili pepper). If you do use Thai chilies  be very careful when handling them. Try to not touch them a lot (or use gloves) and thoroughly wash your hands immediately after chopping.





This is a very hearty, simple & flavorful recipe and comes together in minutes.

Yellow Curry Vegetable Soup
{Printable Recipe}
Author: Leia @ Latitude Adjustment
Servings: 2-4

Ingredients:
8 C. Water
1 chicken bouillon cube
1/4 C. Soy Sauce
1/4 C.  White Vinegar
4 Tbsp. Calamansi Juice (or lemon juice)
3 Thai Chilies (see note above about Thai chilies), minced
2 Tbsp. Yellow Curry Powder
1 tsp. Garlic Powder
Salt (to taste)
2 bags pre-cut pinakbet vegetables*
*If you can't get the vegetables in a pre-cut mix (which I'm sure is many of you), this is what pinakbet vegetables consist of and how much I think to use:
Eggplant (the Japanese, purple kind) - 2 medium-sized
Bittermelon (ampalaya) - half of one 
Okra - 3
String Beans (sitaw) -  a big handful
Squash (kalabasa) - 1 small, or 1/2 of a medium-sized, or 1/4 of a large
Cut these vegetables up into bite-sized pieces. (Click here to read about different Filipino veggies)

Method:
1. Put your water in a large pot. Put on stove and turn heat to high to get boiling.

2. When the water begins to boil (when the water gets really hot- about 5 minutes), add all the ingredients EXCEPT the vegetables and salt. Stir together and let sit for a minute.

3. Add the vegetables and let them cook for about 10 minutes, stirring often.

4. After 10 minutes, check to see if the vegetables are cooked (softened). If not, let the soup cook longer. Make sure you stir often. Taste the broth and add salt if needed/wanted.

5. Eat by itself or with rice & enjoy!

{If you don't have access to these vegetables, try and experiment with what you have available! I'm sure spinach, carrots, cauliflower, etc. etc. would taste great, too!}