A Non-Friday Recipe: Green Curry Soup

I stumbled upon this amazing cooking blog/website yesterday. 101 Cookbooks is chock full of healthy vegetarian recipes. I have a dinner party menu of recipes to try as a result of scrolling (and drooling) through the archives. Inspired by the options, I made "In a Hurry Green Curry" soup last night. Yum!

This is the recipe from the website, and I explain my modifications below.

2 teaspoons green curry paste*
scant 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 14-ounce can coconut milk (light ok)
1 large onion, sliced
14 ounces water or light vegetable broth
6 ounces of firm tofu cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 cup peas, fresh or frozen
2 cups asparagus, cut into 1/2-inch segments
squeeze of fresh lime juice
1/4 cup small basil leaves

In a large thick bottom pot over medium heat whisk the curry paste with the salt and a small splash of the coconut milk. Simmer for just a minute. Add the onion and saute until it softens up, just a minute or so. Add the rest of the coconut milk and broth and simmer for another five minutes. Taste and adjust for flavor - this would be the time to add more curry paste if needed (see headnotes).

Stir in the tofu and (JUST BEFORE SERVING) the peas and asparagus, simmer for just a minute or two, just long enough for the vegetables to cook a bit. Finish the pot with a squeeze of lime and basil leaves. Taste, and adjust seasoning again if needed.

Serves 4.

My alterations:
1. The fridge lacked asparagus but contained broccoli (3/4 head) so I subbed in the green trees. I added the stalks (to let them cook longer), then the crowns, then the tofu, and then the peas.

2. I used more tofu than the recipe calls for, just to add some extra protein (and use the block I had).

3. I skipped the basil because I didn't have any on hand. Also, I often find basil overpowering in Thai soups so I figured I'd like it without the basil and I did.

Other Notes:
*I think this would be a great base for a rice noodle soup.

*It's a great pareve/vegan recipe. One could meatify it with chicken but why damage a delightful vegetarian option?