Thai noodle soup with pork patties

Another speedy entry in the Gourmet Garden Blog Off/Cook Off competition. You don't want to know about my day anyway - it started off with me smashing a jar of (beautiful, homemade) marmalade all over the kitchen floor then cutting my thumb on the glass, and has got worse. Putting Optrex drops into the (very reluctant) dog's eyes to try and avoid another vet bill has been a high point, I tell you.

So, without further ado, I bring you, hot on the heels of the Coriander & Chilli Eggs:

Thai Noodle Soup with Pork Patties

serves 4

450g minced pork
2 tsp Gourmet Garden Chopped Coriander
1 tsp Gourmet Garden Crushed Garlic
1 medium egg, beaten (you may not need all of it)
good grind of salt and pepper

2 strips of noodles
1 tbsp sunflower oil
1 or 2 tsp toasted sesame oil
1/2 red pepper, thinly sliced
6 spring onion, halved then finely sliced lengthways
4 chestnut mushrooms, wiped clean and sliced
3 tsp Gourmet Garden Crushed Thai Spices
500ml chicken stock
1 can coconut milk
salt & pepper




First make the patties.Put the pork, Coriander and Garlic into a bowl with a good grind of salt and pepper, and mix together with a fork, adding the egg to bind as necessary. Form into small meatballs/patties - you should get about 12. Put on a plate, cover and put in the fridge to firm up until you need them..

To make the soup, cook the noodles according to the packet instructions, refresh in cold water and set aside. To stop them clumping together, you can stir through a tsp of sesame oil. 

When you're pretty much ready to eat, firstly, brown the pork patties in a non stick frying pan. I am lucky enough to own a pan that didn't need any oil for this - but if you need to use some oil, use as little as possible. Set aside the browned patties and keep warm.

In a large pan, heat the sunflower oil and 1 tsp sesame oil, and add the spring onions and peppers, stir for a minute or 2, then add in the mushrooms, stir, pour in the coconut milk, then the stock, using the stock to clean out the coconut milk tin, then stir through the Thai Spices, grind in some pepper, and bring to a simmer.

Add the patties, and cook, at a simmer for 5-10 minutes or until the pork is cooked. You can fish out one of the patties and slice it in half to check if necessary. They don't take long.

Divide the noodles between soup plates, and top with the spicy soup and the patties.