You may have noticed things have been a little quiet around the blog. I spontaneously decided to take a week off from posting on the blog, taking some time to relax and visit family, as well as simply clearing my mind from all the little imaginary pressures I put on myself. By doing so, ended up with about 4,052 new recipe ideas and loads of new inspiration for this website, as well as new exciting ideas and plans for the future. Even if barely one of those ideas comes to fruition, it’s still exciting to let myself dream a little.

Something I’ve been dreaming about for a while is a yummy coconut milk based soup. I absolutely love Thai curry, and you may remember from my homemade Thai curry paste post that it is my all-time favorite dish. As I was thumbing through one of my mom’s vegetarian cookbooks, I came across the most perfect looking coconut soup. I changed a few things, and added some of my favorite ingredients to come up with a healthy soup that is perfect for an easy weeknight dinner. Flavorful, aromatic, with a hint of lemongrass and ginger, this soup is sure to be the highlight of your week.

I could see this soup being easily adapted according to season; in the summer I can imagine using fresh corn on the cob and zucchini, in the fall and winter some cooked squash or sweet potato would make for a satisfying swap. To make this soup the main dish, I added cooked jasmine rice to our bowls.The tofu is optional, the original soup didn’t have any. You could replace it with tempeh or just leave it out altogether.  My husband and I like a little bit of heat in our dishes, so I added a sprinkle of red pepper flakes to serve, while keeping my daughters bowl plain (our little lady loved it by the way!). To serve, you can also add fresh cilantro, lemon or lime juice or even the zest to your bowl. Have a craving for curry? You can easily make this a Thai red curry by adding a tablespoon or more of prepared red curry paste as it’s cooking.

Versatile, tasty, and easily adapted to your tastes and what you have on hand, this soup is sure to become a favorite. I should know, I’ve already made it three times in the last week!

Simple Coconut Lemongrass Soup

adapted from a recipe in Low Carb and Gluten-Free Vegetarian

Serves 2-3

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups of vegetable broth (I used hot water and these bouillon cubes)
• 1 can of light coconut milk (or make your own*)
• 1-2 Tbsp tamari or soy sauce
• 2 stalks of lemongrass, sliced (for tips on choosing, trimming, and using lemongrass see this helpful resource)
• 1-2 tsp coconut sugar
• 5 thin slices of fresh ginger root
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 3-4 cups of veggies of choice (I used an overflowing cup each of sliced mushrooms, broccoli, and cauliflower florets)
• optional: 1/2 block of cubed organic, sprouted, extra firm tofu (rinsed and pressed for at least 15-20 minutes before cutting into 1 inch cubes) or use tempeh

for serving: extra limes, fresh cilantro, red pepper flakes, lime or lemon zest, grated ginger, cooked rice

Instructions:

Add coconut milk, coconut sugar, and broth to a large pot and bring to a low boil. Add the remaining ingredients and reduce heat to simmer. Simmer for about 5-6 minutes, or until veggies are crisp-tender. Ladle into bowls with plenty of broth. Add cilantro, lime juice or zest, pepper flakes, and cooked rice if desired.

*Make your own coconut milk by combining 3 cups of hot water and 1-1.5 cups unsweetened coconut shreds in your blender. Blend on high (I hold a folded up towel over the lid just to be safe) and then carefully strain.