Veg Thukpa | Tibetian Noodle Soup
Veg Thukpa is a comforting, wholesome noodle soup hailing from the Himalayan regions, especially Tibet and Northeast India. Made with hearty vegetables, noodles, and a mildly spiced broth infused with garlic, ginger, and soy sauce, this dish offers warmth and nourishment. Perfect for chilly days, it balances flavors and textures, making it a popular street food and home-cooked meal alike.
Ingredients
For Veg Stock
- Water (पानी) – 2 L
- Bayleaf (तेज पत्ता) – 3 no
- Peppercorns (काली मिर्च) – 6 no
- Garlic Cloves (लहसुन) – 6 no
- Ginger, thick Slices (अदरक) – 3os
- Coriander Stems (धनिया के तने) – Handful
- Onion, roughly cut (प्याज़) – 1 no
- Beans, Roughly Cut/Trimmings (बीन्स) – 1 Cup
- Carrot, Dice/ Trimming (गाजर) – ½ Cup
- Cauliflower, Rough cut/Trimmings (फूलगोभी) – ½ Cup
- Tomato, rough cut/Trimmings (टमाटर) – 1 cup
- Mushroom, sliced (मशरूम) – 5nos
For Tibetan Chilli Paste
- Garlic, Chopped (लहसुन) – 2tbsp
- Ginger, Chopped (अदरक) – 2tbsp
- Peppercorns (काली मिर्च) – 1 tbsp
- Coriander Seeds (धनिया के बीज) – 1 tbsp
- Cumin (जीरा) – 1 tsp
- Salt (नमक) – 1 tsp
- Oil (तेल) – 2tbsp
- Chilli Flakes (कुट्टी मिर्च) – ½ cup
- Oil (तेल) – 1cup
For Thukpa Soup
- Tomato, large (टमाटर) – 3 nos
- Butter (मक्खन) – 2 tbsp
- Garlic, Chopped (लहसुन) – 1 tbsp
- Ginger, Chopped (अदरक) – ½ tbsp
- Carrot, Chopped (गाजर) – ¼ cup
- Onion, Chopped (प्याज़) – ¼ cup
- Mushrooms, Chopped (मशरूम) – ½ cup
- Beans, Sliced (बीन्स) – ¼ cup
- Spring Onion, chopped (हरी प्याज) – ¼ cup
- Green Chilli, Slit (हरी मिर्च) – 1 no
- Coriander Leaves, Chopped (धनिया) – Handful
- Veg Stock – 1 lit
- Light Soya Sauce (लाइट सोया सॉस) – 1 tbsp
- Salt (नमक) – To Taste
Steamed Vegetables
- Cabbage, Sliced (पत्ता गोभी) – Handful
- Carrot, Sliced (गाजर) – Handful
- Onion, Sliced (प्याज़) – Handful
To Assemble
- Noodles, Boiled (नूडल्स) – 1 Cup
- Steamed Vegetables – Handful
- Spring Onion, chopped – Handful
- Tibetan Chilli Paste – 1bsp
- Coriander Sprigs – Handful
- Lemon, Wedges (नींबू) – A Twist
Instructions
- We will start by making the soup. Bring the water to simmer and add all the ingredients of the soup in it. You don’t need to worry about the cut of your ingredients too much. Just simmer till the water is reduced to 1.5 L. Then, strain the soup and keep. If you leave the vegetables in the soup for too long, it may make the stock bitter.While the soup simmers, you may start with chilli paste. In a blender or small food processor, blend together the garlic, ginger, salt, Black pepper, coriander and cumin seeds to a rough paste or fine chopped consistency.
- Put 1 tbsp of oil into a frying pan over a medium heat. Add in the blended ingredients to the pan and cook for 4–5 minutes, stirring constantly to make sure nothing burns. You splash some water, if necessary, to avoid burning. When you have a nice, dry paste, add the chilli and mix everything through, then turn off the heat and set aside.Meanwhile, in a saucepan, heat the oil until it is very hot. Put the frying pan back over a low heat and carefully pour the hot oil into the pan – it should really sing as it hits the chilli. Stir briskly for 4–5 minutes. Keep a very close eye on it and take it off the heat immediately if it looks like it’s starting to burn. As soon as the chilli darkens to a rich reddish-brown, it is ready.
- Quickly transfer into a serving bowl and keep stirring for a further minute. Allow it to cool a little before serving. To make the soup, keep the prepared tomato puree handy. Do not forget to strain the tomato puree. Add some butter in a deep vessel and begin adding the chopped ingredients by first adding in the garlic, ginger, carrot, and onion. Stir to avoid burning and add in the mushrooms, beans, coriander and slit green chilli. Mix again and add in the tomato puree.Cook the tomato puree till most of the moisture is evaporated and add in the sliced green onions. Cook for another minute and add in the stock. Adjust seasoning and bring to a simmer.
- Place a strainer over the simmer soup and carefully place the shredded and sliced cabbage, carrots and onions. Cover with a lid and cook for 2 minutes to soften these vegetables. Once the soup has simmered for about 15 minutes it is ready.To assemble, pour the soup in the bowl, then add in the noodles. Finally top it up with some coriander sprigs, sliced spring onions, softened vegetables and chilli paste. Serve piping hot.
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