This recipe was in Self Magazine’s November 2006 issue. Another one of Ellen’s great finds, we threw this together on New Years Day. We had a bit of trouble finding some of the ingredients since the market was nearly empty. We made do, and noted our substitutions below. This is better than any hot pot I’ve had at any Thai restaurant, ever.

• 4 oz. dried rice stick noodles
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 shallots, thinly sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, smashed
• 1/2 C chopped onion
• 2 1/2 C chicken stock
• 1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes, with juice
• 1 C light coconut milk
• 3 tbsp rice vinegar
• 2 tbsp fish sauce
• Zest of 2 limes (about 1 tbsp)
• 1 tsp Sriracha, more to taste
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 stalk lemongrass, minced
• 6 sprigs of cilantro, plus more for garnish
• 2 sprigs basil, plus more for garnish
• 1/2 C canned straw mushrooms (available at Asian or specialty markets)
• 12 large shrimp, peeled & deveined
• 4 large sea scallops, cut in half
• 2 calamari tubes, cut into 1/2″ rings
• Juice of 1 lime

Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil. Stir in noodles; remove from heat. Let stand until noodles soften – 5 to 8 minutes. Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Cook shallots, garlic and onion until soft – 3 to 5 minutes. Add stock, juice from tomatoes, coconut milk, vinegar, fish sauce, lime zest, Sriracha, sugar and lemongrass. Bring to a boil medium high heat. Add cilantro and basil; reduce heat to medium low; simmer 10 minutes. Remove garlic, cilantro, and basil from pot; add tomatoes & mushrooms. Reduce to a simmer. Add shrimp and scallops; cook 2 minutes. Add calamari and lime juice. Season with salt and pepper. Divide noodles among 4 bowls; top with soup; garnish with remaining basil & cilantro.

• 1 small clove garlic, minced
• 4 tsp red wine vinegar
• 1 1/2 tsp sherry vinegar
• 2 tbsp fresh thyme, chopped
• 2 tbsp fresh tarragon, chopped
• pinch of cayenne pepper
• 1 1/2 lb yellow heirloom tomatoes, quartered
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp black pepper
• 1 c cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced
• 1 c red bell pepper, cored, seeded and diced
• 2/3 c red onion, chopped
• 1/2 tsp celery salt
• 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice

Puree first nine ingredients in a blender until smooth. Refrigerate 1 hour. Strain through a fine sieve, pressing solids to release all liquid. Put liquid in blender and add cucumber, bell pepper, onion, celery salt, Worcestershire and lemon juice; process briefly, then refrigerate. If desired, wet rims of 4 glasses with lemon, combine 1 part coarse salt and 2 parts fresh chopped parsley on a saucer and dip glass rims in mixture. Fill with gazpacho; serve immediately.