Coconut Soup (Vegetarian)
I'm a 'Soup'aholic.
I can survive on soups for days together, just that I need some variety.
As the evenings are getting colder ,almost every evening when I get back home , I crave for a cup of hot soup.
It was one such evening that I wanted to try something new. Coconut soup it was, yes, I had never tried it before. The first time I had this soup was in a Thai restaurant in Durham and I had wanted to make it ever since. I looked for recipes online but I had only few of the ingredients handy. I decided to give it a shot with what ever I had, and it turned out so yummy.
so, here's the coconut soup recipe with minimal ingredients.
Serving - 4 Cups.
Cooking Time : 20 min.
Ingredients :
Coconut milk - 1 Can (13 Fl. Oz.)
Garlic - 2 cloves (Crushed)
Ginger - 1 small piece (finely chopped)
White / Red Onions - 1 medium (very finely chopped)
White button Mushrooms - 1 Cup**
Lemon Grass Paste - 3 oz.**
Sea Salt - As per taste
Crushed Red Peppers - 2 tsp.
Water - 2 Cups**
Olive Oil - 1 Tbsp.
Cilantro leaves - to Garnish.
Extra Firm Tofu - 7 oz. (Optional- cut in to small cubes)**
** - Refer Notes
Method :
1. Heat a pan and add the Olive oil. Add the ginger and garlic.
2. Once the garlic is cooked , add the onions and cook till they turn translucent. Make sure the onions are finely chopped. Add the salt and the crushed peppers.
3. Now add the mushrooms and cook for 2 more minutes or till they begin to wilt.
4. Lower the flame, add the coconut milk and the water. Add the lemon grass paste to this, keep stirring as you add the lemon grass.
5. Cook in a low flame for about 15 minutes.
6. Garnish it with the Cilantro leaves and serve it hot.
**Notes :
1. Ideal would be to use the white button mushrooms. Since I had only the shiitake mushrooms I used them instead.
2. I used Gourmet Garden LemonGrass Paste (6 oz.) that is easily available in Walmart. if using fresh lemon grass, use 4 stalks and crush them before adding. Trim the top and base of the stalks—you want to use only the bottom 4 inches or so. Then peel off any dry or tough outer layers before finely chopping or mincing.
3. Extra firm Tofu can be steamed and added to this soup and it turns very soft and enhances its taste.
4. Vegetable broth can be used instead of water.
