This Thai-inspired noodle bowl is somewhere between a light soup and a chilled noodle dish. The broth is creamy from coconut milk but still bright and fresh thanks to lemongrass, ginger, chilli and lime.

It is especially good when you want something satisfying without feeling heavy. The recipe also works well with tofu or leftover cooked chicken, and you can use rice noodles instead of udon if you prefer.

Ingredients

2 tbsp neutral oil

150 g fresh shiitake or chestnut mushrooms

1 tsp sea salt

400 ml coconut milk

400 ml just-boiled water

150 g thick straight-to-wok udon noodles

2 heads pak choi, finely sliced

150 g peeled and deveined prawns

For the aromatic base:

1 lemongrass stalk

2 spring onions, trimmed

2 garlic cloves, peeled

1 red chilli

4 cm fresh ginger, peeled

Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lime

Lime wedges, to serve

Make the Aromatic Paste

Start by preparing the flavour base.

Finely grate the lemongrass, spring onions, garlic, chilli, ginger and lime zest.

If you prefer using a blender, roughly chop the lemongrass and spring onions first, then blend them with the garlic, chilli, ginger and lime zest until you have a coarse paste.

It is important to chop the lemongrass before blending because the stalk is extremely fibrous and can be difficult for some blenders to process.

Keep the lime juice aside for later.

Build the Coconut Broth

Heat the neutral oil in a large saucepan over medium-low heat.

Add the aromatic paste and cook for about 3 minutes, stirring constantly. The mixture should become fragrant without browning too aggressively.

Add the sliced mushrooms and continue cooking for another 5 minutes.

Season with the sea salt, then pour in the coconut milk and 400 ml of just-boiled water.

Stir everything together and bring the broth to a boil.

Once boiling, remove the pan from the heat and allow the mixture to cool completely.

Transfer it to the refrigerator and chill for at least 2 hours.

This resting time is important because the flavours continue to develop as the broth cools.

Cook the Noodles and Prawns

Just before serving, bring a separate saucepan of salted water to a boil.

Add the noodles and sliced pak choi and cook for 1 minute.

Then add the prawns and simmer for another minute, or until they turn pink and are cooked through.

Drain everything thoroughly.

Immediately rinse the noodles, pak choi and prawns under cold running water. This stops the cooking process and helps keep the dish properly chilled.

Make sure everything is well drained before assembling the bowls so excess water does not dilute the coconut broth.

Assemble the Bowls

Divide the noodles, pak choi and prawns between two large soup bowls.

Pour the chilled coconut and lemongrass broth generously over the top.

Add the reserved lime juice, taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.

Serve with extra lime wedges on the side.

For additional heat, you can finish the bowls with a little sliced fresh chilli.

Make It Vegetarian

The recipe is very easy to adapt.

Replace the prawns with cubed firm tofu and add it at the same time as the pak choi. Let everything cook for around 4 minutes so the tofu can warm through and absorb some of the broth’s flavour.

You can also add extra mushrooms or vegetables such as thinly sliced courgette or sugar snap peas.

Serve It Hot Instead

There is no need to wait for the broth to chill if you prefer a warm meal.

Once the coconut broth reaches a boil, add the pak choi and simmer for 2 minutes.

Taste and adjust the salt, then add the noodles and prawns. Continue cooking for another 2 minutes, or until the prawns are cooked through.

Finish with lime juice just before serving.