Bring on the Cold! Spicy Thai Curry Soup

I love cold weather, probably because it's so rare here in Los Angeles. While my friends back east and on the other side of the pond envy our near perfect, SoCal weather, I find myself craving cold, crisp breezes and, occasionally, bitter, freezing rainstorms. Do you know how depressing it is to wake up every Christmas morning to 82-degree warmth and blue, cloudless skies? Just once, I want to open my presents wrapped in a cozy, velvet robe in front of a roaring fireplace while the weather outside is frightful.



Needless to say, I take full advantage of the rare break we get from the constant sunny delight that is LA weather. Today is a true, crisp fall day; I actually had to wear a sweatshirt with a hood (I utilized the hood!!) on my morning walk to the gym, and I was still a bit chilly. To celebrate, I made a pot of comforting spicy Thai curry vegetable soup, because there's just nothing better than cozying up to a bowl of hot soup on a cold (ok, cool) day.
Spicy Thai Curry Vegetable Soup
2 teaspoons of olive oil

1 yellow onion, large dice

1 red bell pepper, large dice

2 carrots, large dice

2 cups green beans, cut into medium pieces

3 tablespoons of Thai red curry paste

4 cups of chicken stock

1 14 oz can of lite coconut milk

1.5 tablespoons of fish sauce

4 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

2 tablespoons of chopped fresh basil
Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, red bell pepper and carrots and saute for about 5 minutes or until onion starts to soften. Add green beans and cook for another 2 minutes. Add curry paste and coat the vegetables with it without burning the paste. Add the stock and coconut milk and bring it to a boil. Add the fish sauce and stir in cilantro. Pour into bowls. Top each soup bowl with basil. Serve as is, or add cooked white or brown rice for a complete meal!