Vegetarian: Raw curry noodle soup

Seon Joo Lee is the director of Yong Green Food in Melbourne's Fitzroy, which has carved out a reputation for its new-wave vegetarian menu. Today she shares her recipe for raw curry noodle soup, a perfect pick-me-up on a hot summer's day.

"It's basically blended cashew milk jazzed up with curry spices and poured over zucchini noodles," says Seon Joo of her creation. "It's high protein, low-carb food; all natural and full of enzymes. It's also a very eco-friendly recipe as it doesn't require much energy or packaged ingredients - exactly what we need in a hot summer."

Raw curry noodle soup from Yong Green Food

For soup

1 cup cashews

2 cups water

1/4 red onion

2 cloves garlic

1 tablespoon ginger

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 green chilli (sliced)

1 teaspoon curry powder

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon turmeric

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon coconut sugar (or raw sugar)

Vegetables

*1 large zucchini, cut to resemble thin rice noodles

1 tomato, diced

1/4 cup red capsicum diced

5 mushrooms, sliced

1 cup coriander leaves, chopped (and extra sprigs for garnishing)

1 mango cheek, cut into cubes

1/4 cup mint, chopped

* Seon Joo uses a Spiraliser, a gadget available from kitchen supply shops, to make her zucchini noodles, but you can also use a normal vegetable peeler.

Method

1. Blend all the soup ingredients, with spices and sugar in a blender or food processor at high speed until smooth.

2. Make zucchini noodles.

3. Pour the soup in a bowl and add tomato, capsicum, mushroom, mint and coriander and let sit for 30 minutes (or longer) to allow flavours to permeate the soup.

4. Arrange zucchini noodles in the middle in a mound.

5. Top each bowl of soup with chopped mango and garnish with sprigs of coriander.–

Serves 2

Yong Green Food, 421 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy, 03 9417 3338.