Slurp-tastic Herb Noodles Recipe
A big, slurpy bowl of whisper-thin spinach noodles draped in a spicy curry and herb broth - inspired by a beautiful box of noodles I picked up in Mill Valley, Ca.
I suppose I had what most people would call a stay-cation last week in nearby Marin County. My assignment was simple - take care of your sister's two dogs. Friends find this mildly amusing, because although I generally like dogs, I don't own one, and Heather's dogs aren't exactly petite. I'll just mention that one is a Bernese Mountain Dog and leave it at that. I settled into her house, made sure the dogs had plenty to eat, and used it as home base while she was in the UK. For those of you unfamiliar with Marin, most of it sits just north of the fog-bank that drapes itself over San Francisco each summer. Temperatures peaked in the 90s while I was there, and when I wasn't tossing squeaky toys to my two canine friends, I was exploring some of the nearby sites. This big, slurpy bowl of whisper-thin spinach noodles draped in a spicy curry and herb broth was inspired by a beautiful box of noodles I picked up in Mill Valley.
While walking around Mill Valley, I stumbled into Tyler Florence's new shop - yes, you know him, the guy from the Food Network! He lives in this area. His shop is called Tyler Florence West Coast Kitchen Essentials - it's sort of like Williams-Sonoma but infused with the slightest hint of Anthropologie, and let's say 5% generic country kitchen. There were a couple unexpected details and quirks that I'd love to see more of. For example, stacks of vintage Gourmet magazines you can take to the back of the store and browse while sitting in the cozy library cookbook alcove. You can't buy them though (I tried!). He also stocks adorable, handmade kitchen aprons and textiles by Ambatalia / The Fabric Society. This one came in a kids size, and although I rummaged through the shelves looking for an adult-sized version, it wasn't meant to be. There was a wall of various food products - oils, spices, vanilla and the like. I spotted a box of lovely, light, Cipriani spinach tagliolini and quickly grabbed a box. You see half of it here in today's recipe coupled with a selection of herbs that were congregating in my refrigerator door (again), and a nice jolt of curry paste.
In case you find yourself in that zip-code, and before you make your way to the recipe, here are a few other places worth mentioning. I spent my mornings at Emporio Rulli in Larkspur. There is one guy pulling shots who is particularly on point. If I lived in that area I'd have to ask him his work schedule is. Wayne came over on the ferry one day and we had fantastic Neopolitan-style pizza that night at Pizzeria Picco - and no, we couldn't resist the olive-oil drizzled soft serve with sea salt. And to counterbalance all that - I took a couple tough (but great) classes at The Dailey Method, conveniently located just up the street from Pizzeria Picco.
We ate this the first night back. You could certainly add broccoli for a bit of colorful crunch, and nutritional boost. Cauliflower might be good too.
Other favorite noodle recipes include: this incredible vegan ramen, my favorite pad thai, sriracha rainbow noodle salad, and black sesame otsu. Pasta with Smashed Zucchini Cream is also really good, or browse this list of tasty noodle soups!
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Slurp-tastic Herb Noodles Recipe
I used Cipriani's extra-thin spinach tagliolini here, but many thin pastas could be substituted. Just try to imagine if it would go with a nice, hearty, spicy curry -some pasta will work better than others.
4 ounces thin, dried spinach pasta (thin)
1 cup coconut milk (light is fine)
scant 1 tablespoon green or yellow curry paste
1 1/2 cups lightly flavored vegetable broth
~1/4 teaspoon salt (more or less depending on the saltiness of your broth)
6 ounces tofu, cut into small cubes or pieces
1/4 cup chives, minced
1/3 cup cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup basil, chopped just before using
pinch of crushed red chile peppers
Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. This is eventually going to be the pot you cook the pasta in.
In a separate large, thick-bottomed pot, bring 1/4 cup of the coconut milk to a simmer, mash and stir the curry paste into the coconut milk so there are no lumps. Now add the rest of the coconut milk and the vegetable broth and bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer and stir in the tofu. Taste and decide if you need to add more curry paste or salt - if you do want to add more curry paste at this point, make a slurry by combining the additional curry paste and a bit of the broth, working any lumps out - add this to the pot.
Back at the pasta pot, salt the water generously and cook the pasta per package instructions. Drain.
Just before serving stir the chives, cilantro, and basil into the curry pot. To serve, place a nice helping of noodles in the center of each bowl and finish with a ladle of the curry and tofu along with a tiny pinch of crushed red chile peppers.
Serves 2 to 4.
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I made these today with some liberal substitutions (we’re cleaning out the fridge and pantry in preparation for a move). I only had about a half a cup of coconut milk, so I added a quarter cup of peanut butter for body. I also tossed in some grated ginger and garlic with the curry paste (red, we have no yellow or green in the house). No fancy fresh spinach noodles—we had Barilla spaghetti rigati. Some leftover baked tofu, steamed sugar snap peas, and a generous handful each of basil and cilantro (courtesy of my herb garden!) rounded it out.
Easy, spicy, filling, and delicious. Great idea!
Tyler Florence is teh sexay.. I’d love to shop at his shop.
that’s certainly a yummier way to eat spinach.
Maybe in addition to/stead of a whole page devoted to tofu/tempeh/etc, Heidi, you could just add a substitution template to the blog format where common elements of dispute could have some stock alternatives, and you could add other ones at will. You already include a lot of these substitutions when it comes to gluten-free and other allergy-sensitive foods, so it might save you some work.
This blog definitely has broadened my food horizons, as well as those of several friends. Now if only picky meat-and-potatoes boyfriends would be as adventurous. ^_^
The exotic ingredients in this recipe show that San Franciscans really are much more tolerant and diverse and open-minded and multicultural and ahead of the curve than everyone else *said with a condescending tone of voice whilst smugly tilting my head upwards and closing my eyes*.
thank you for sharing Oyinkan, these recipes will be in my collection.
The noodles look lovely. Such a simple recipe. Thanks for sharing.
PS. After rereading my post I just want to make sure it didn’t sound like a forceful suggestion. I totally understand that this is a blog, a labor of love, and I would never demand anything of you, Heidi! I am just a humble (and a bit curious) reader, and it was just a thought.
I made this last night using regular pasta because I didn’t have spinach on hand. It was fantastic! The herbs add such a wonderful flavor. I loved it.
Hi Heidi,
Your entries are always so terrific I find myself reading all the way through the comments just to get as much as possible from each blog! I can’t help notice, however, that the the comment section is always filled with the same kind of repetitive questions that seem to garner heated discussion (ie stating tofu is gross, asking how to substitute stuff for tempeh, etc). I was just thinking: a lot of people are inspired by your site are entering a world they aren’t used to, and for this we can’t blame them. Everyone learns somewhere. Perhaps you could cut down on the questions in your comments if you created a couple blogs on exotic ingredients you use commonly. Tempeh: how to cook it, how to tell if it’s done, what it’s made of, what the best kind to buy is, etc etc. You might include a tab to link directly to these special blogs; that would be so useful to people who are coming here for the first time. For someone like me, who never cooked with some of these ingredients til I read your recipes, the task can feel daunting because I don’t have the experience, or brand recognition or even basic knowledge of the ingredient’s properties, the way I do with ingredients from the recipes my grandmother raised me with.
Plus, I myself would enjoy reading about how you first started using and enjoying tofu, or who taught you how to cook tempeh, or where you learned how to cook with coconut milk!
Thanks so much for all your hard work on this blog!
HS: Hi Eva, thanks for your thoughtful suggestion(s) – I’m working on a couple things that might help a bit on this front. I actually included much of that sort of information in Super Natural Cooking, but haven’t gone back in and rehashed it on the site in any sort of organized fashion…I’ll try to get more organized! -h
Bernese Mountain dogs are the best 🙂
The noodles look pretty good too. Woof!
This looks delicious! I am slowly becoming addicted to your blog =) I just made you Salt Kissed Buttermilk Cake and LOVED it. http://rawforamonth.blogspot.com/2008/10/salt-kissed-berry-buttermilk-cake.html
I will definitely give these a shot.
Arika
My Yummy Life
i don’t think i would like it but it really looks great
Marin County is truly God’s Country. I’d do anything to stay there for free for a few weeks (including watching somebody’s monster dogs).
This recipe looks wonderful, and maybe, just maybe, I can get my nits to try it. I wonder if I can substitute green-tea soba noodles for spinach pasta? Stay tuned…
Your site is such a fantastic resource. Thank you!
This looks slurptastic indeed. I love the addition of the fresh herbs at the end—I bet it would be good with a squeeze of lime as well. I’m bookmarking it…perfect for a cool night!
This looks amazing, can’t wait to try it!
This looks great Heidi! I often make sphagetti this way, with a curry-base, though I like your yellow-curry idea too! will try this next week:)
Sorry about the multi-post. (Cat on the computer, you see.) I just wanted to let you know that I made the lemony chickpea stirfry last night and it was great! I can’t wait to try this recipe — I have some green tea soba that might work.
By the way:
Happy World Vegetarian Day, everyone!
Am in love with curry paste. And noodle bowls. So, these noodles would really hit the spot these days at our house.
Lovely, Heidi!
I am seeing coconut milk everywhere these days!
That’s it. I am going to make this over the weekend and see if like coconut milk.
Thanks for sharing Heidi!
Comforting to just look at on a cloudy Boston day! Thanks! I’m interested in anyone’s view on coconut milk–brands or types that are better than others?
Nice recipe! Very comforting especially for these Autumn days that are coming!
There were some noodles like this at Cost Plus World Market recently, but since I tend to pick up new ingredients for the love of imagining what to do with them but then can’t bear to use them, I didn’t pick them up. However, thanks for giving me the idea! I like the idea of using long noodles in a soup; I am so used to using shorter noodles, grains, or chunks of potatoes, and longer noodles for non-soup pasta dishes. Great idea! Thanks.
Would this work with Soba Noodles I wonder?? I have a pack in my cupboard and don’t know what to do with them. this sounds tasty.
You are so lucky with your shops there in the States, the Tyler shop sounds so imaginative.
Would this work with Soba Noodles I wonder?? I have a pack in my cupboard and don’t know what to do with them. this sounds tasty.
You are so lucky with your shops there in the States, the Tyler shop sounds so imaginative.
This was fantastic. I used Morning Star ground “beef” which was the only thing I had on hand, what a delicious pantry-friendly dish. Thanks Heidi!
It’s odd how a simple, delicious bowl of slurpy noodles can cause such controversy.
Thanks for the recipe, Heidi. It looks wonderful. I have also used your blog as a gateway to trying new foods, and as other posters mentioned, I don’t always recreate the meal exactly. I’ll substitute for what I can find or what I like. I’m sure that’s why you started this blog in the first place! To serve as an inspiration to others, to help them eat better and healthier.
Anyway, this is great. I’ll definitely make this sometime this week. I’ll put in some pan-fried “croutons” of halloumi, or as us Hispanics call it “Queso Frito”.
Have an awesome Wednesday!
I hate spinach pasta, but still can’t resist the temptation to read about them
Respected Swanson Madam,
Best regards from sunil,
You will be surprised to know that we here in India use this practice to make always the veg or herbal noodles very often. Your above recipe is quite fine, I like it as it is made in my home for me. 🙂 very nice preparation by you.
There are huge advantages to eat the herbal or vegitarian noodles as shown in the dish above, many vitamins which are naturally extracted can get to an individual if use so.
Thanks
sunil
Heidi
Another lovely recipe, but there’s a curious irony on this page today: the GLAM ad featured just above the recipe is for the new hamburger from McDonald’s… Forbidden fruit? It made me laugh, especially with their slogan ‘you’ll always remember your first one…’. Now, if only I could find gluten free spinach noodles, they look very appetizing. Thanks again for a lovely blog.
HS: Maeve, thanks for the heads up. I’ve asked that fast food and soda ads be blocked from running on my site. Let me look into it. :/
Looks great! I was wondering if you could cook the noodles in the coconut/broth/curry mixture (I’m just always looking for ways to clean fewer pots!)
Wow, and Yummm! I love recipe and what a great way to get my kids to eat spinach. Haven’t tried it yet, but thanks a bunch for the recipe!
I find that your recipe has a great base flavor-wise. The thing a!out tofu is that it is so versatile. You should have no problems substituting other ingredients for tofu. Tofu is treated as a meat substitute, so subbing ing chicken, pork, or even fish will help you with your problem. Thank you for this wonderful post, keep it up please.
I’ve wanted to visit Marin county ever since I found out it existed. When I moved to Davis a year ago I bought a bike called a “Marin”. I thought it just a name, but when I went for my first ride, the very first street I passed was Marin St. Either I bought a very popular bike or Marin was popular for some other reason. It sounds like a great place, I want to visit before I go back to NY.
Thanks for the great places to visit. As long as it’s away from the San Fran fog then I’ll be happy. That’s the one thing I can’t stand about going to San Fran every other weekend. The fog and the cold temperatures that it brings.
This looks fantastic and my husband and I can’t wait to try it out. It combines some of my great food loves! Noodles, tofu & curry – oh my!
For those having tofu issues, here’s a suggestion if you do dairy products – try some lightly fried panir cheese. I can find some frozen in local Indian groceries and it can be a tasty substitute for a dish like this. Not as high on protein but at least it isn’t meat and still has a pretty good consistency and texture compared to tofu!
Tyler Florence is also executive chef for Steve and Kate’s, a summer day camp for kids in Marin. I wish I was 9 again! I keep telling my niece to bring home leftovers. Can’t wait to try this soup, it looks sooo good!
Looks really good, but my boyfriend and coconut milk do not see eye to eye. What would you substitute for the coconut milk?
Mm…if you can’t say something nice, say nothing at all. Editoral comments really aren’t necessary when someone is simply stating an opinion. I, too, can not eat tofu, but please don’t “sheesh” me!
Mm…if you can’t say something nice, say nothing at all. Editoral comments really aren’t necessary when someone is simply stating an opinion. I, too, can not eat tofu, but please don’t “sheesh” me!
Dave: that’s some droll sense of humor you have there! As to this delectable sounding recipe: it combines many of the flavors I love most in this world! I look forward to making it. Thank you, Heidi.
I didn’t know Tyler had his own shop!
Just wanted to say that I enjoyed your site and will definitely be coming back to try some of these fantastic recipes.
Bernese Mountain Dogs, eh? Do they come with saddles?
Was hoping for a picture of the dogs!
On the tofu note: my boyfriend refused to eat tofu before trying any of the recipes from this website. Now he actually requests these dishes.
this looks great, except i don’t like curry. or tofu. or noodles. what can i substitute for these?
Heh. Well, if it’s any consolation, there are no tofu recipes on the near horizon. You’re safe for the foreseeable future. 😉 -h
Another GREAT post! I just love your discriptive writing re: your recipes and travels.
Hey Heidi-Because of you I have been roasting tomatoes every weekend! Your recipe is fabulous. Really like the TLT sandwich-great tempeh. You are an inspiration-I try new spices or grains in place of brown rice.It’s fun to explore new ingredients.Thank you for Super Natural Foods-great cook book!And I look forward to 101 every week!
This looks delicious, a great use for the half can of coconut milk that I have leftover from making curry.
This looks like the perfect dinner, especially now that the nights are getting cooler here in New England.
Marilyn: try Surfas in LA for all types of ingredients. It’s in Culver City.
Love the look of those slender spinach noodles; beautiful! I am also finding that there are too many tofu recipes here, but I just use the blog for inspiration and therefore go and create my own types of meals anyway. If my family ate tofu I would use it; unfortunately it’s not happening. In the meantime, thank you for the healthful, gorgeous food which awakens my appetite and my creativity.
I didn’t know Tyler Florence had a shop like that? How fantastic to browse through! I recently found old Bon Apetit Magazines that my Dad had stored in the basement. My Mom recently retired and is cleaning stuff out since he passed away. I had the best time looking through all those old magazines!
Now I desperately need a recipe for soft serve ice cream with olive oil and sea salt. Was the olive oil just drizzled on top? Or was it blended in?
HS: Generously drizzled over the top. And the soft serve was light and billowy, but still rich with the flavor of slightly sweetened cream. Soooo good.
Marilyn Mandel, pineapple juice is fun in this kind of soup. It is more in the lines of a Vietnamese hot-and-sour soup, but would have a curry twist. The dish will be different but still flavorful. Herbs also stand out well in pineapple juice. I must say I appreciate the quick recipes.
Hi Heidi, Is there any substitute for tofu?
My hubby won’t even eat veggies, but he does love my Pesto Sauce which I make with 1/2 Basil and 1/2 Parsley and two kinds of toasted nuts and, of course, all the other delightful ingredients. Great olive oil, and if you are nice to us, I also share the made up concoction with family or friends. Thanks a lot, Heidi, I love your site and share it often with others.
Thank you Heidi for mentioning my kitchen textiles. I appreciate the support. All of my textiles are fairly traded and locally made, using organic textiles. I would love to make you a smock apron in your size. Thanks again, and I can’t wait to read more on your site. Molly
This looks awesome and very easy to make gluten-free. Coconut milk, curry, and red chile flakes are favorites of mine. Love the pasta photos!
Thanks,
Melissa
Spicy curry tofu noodles? I’m there! Will have to pick up the ingrediants this weekend. 🙂
I am having this for dinner this week, or a variant anyway. I have red curry paste laughing at me from MY fridge!
Debra Climie–
Use chicken, pork or beef instead of tofu.
She posts what she eats and if is eating tofu heavy these days, what is she supposed to post? can’t please everyone. sheesh.
what if you hate coconut milk? substitutions,
please….. spinach noodles sound
great. if you know of a los angeles resource
that may carry it, i’d love to know.
thanks for all you share..
I thought the little bits were mushrooms in the photo and as I’m not a lover of tofu, I think I’ll try it with mushrooms as a variation. Looks delicious.
I love love love your site but am finding the recipes a little tofu heavy! It seems like every second recipe contains tofu these days. I have an intolerance to soy as do many others of us out here. Perhaps when you present us with a soy protein based recipe you could provide alternatives for those of us who cannot eat it. That would be wonderful! Your recipes and creativity are fantastic and I want to continue to enjoy them! Thanks Heidi.
HS: Hi Deborah, for the most part the recipes I feature here are quite forgiving – particularly if they aren’t baked. Feel free to swap in whatever sounds good to you – in this case, perhaps it would be another form of pre-cooked protein.
That looks really great and I just made a jar of curry paste.
I may be moving to Marin county soon, these finds will come in handy.
This looks great, and I have a bucket of red curry sitting in my fridge that needs used.
Kate – Instead of spinach pasta, you go more asian with a thin rice noodle, buckwheat soba, or maybe even udon (they do a curry udon in Japan that is pretty good).
Wow, those noodles really do look “slurp-tastic” I’m in love with that first pic!
Anyone else have suggestions for the spinach pasta substitute? I was thinking whole wheat angel hair but I want to ensure the grainy-ness (for a lack of a better phrase) doesn’t overpower the subtleness of the broth.
Fantastic combination. The addition of cauliflower sounds great too.
this looks great! I’m up in Marin every now and again — thanks for the recommendations of spots to check out!
I had no idea Tyler Florence had a shop…it sounds positively delightful. As does the recipe. I usually use rice noodles when I make curry, but I can see this working really, really well.
Those noodles look delicious. I’ll be making this soon.
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