Browsing Tag

soup

Ginger Coconut Soup with Wai San and Shrimp Recipe

March 26, 2013

Wai San is a potato-like root vegetable that I discovered at an Oakland Farmers market several years ago. It turned out to be delicious addition to this ginger coconut soup!

I watched the mass of shoppers hover around the table for at least 10 minutes before I mustered up enough courage to elbow my way in and take a look. I was surprised to see a knobby, speckled, skinny root vegetable staring back at me. I had no idea what it was and given all the hustle around me, I doubted I’d get an answer even if I asked.

 

 

I walked away, but it didn’t take long for my curiosity to get the better of me. Finally, on my last lap through the Farmers Market there was a lighter crowd swarming the vendor. I stepped up, analyzed the unfamiliar root, and I caught his eye. I asked what it was. He responded twice with the proper name, and I’m sure my face revealed that not only could I not hear over the people, but that I also couldn’t understand him.

His next response was, “Chinese potato. You cook it like potato in a soup.

Sold. I grabbed up a handful and he nodded in acknowledgement that I only needed a few for soup.

 

 

After a bit of research, I think I finally found the name for this new-to-me vegetable. I say – I think – because it wasn’t easy to come by. I have found a couple of blogs which identify it as Wai San.

It’s long and thin, and almost looks like it has dots. Check.

When it’s peeled, its starch is sticky and a little glue-like. Check.

It boils up like a potato, yet it has a blander flavor. Check.

If you happen to know it by another name, please let me know in the comments. I’d love to learn more about it.

This being my first attempt at cooking with Wai San I didn’t want to get too adventurous. I stuck to the recommendation for soup, and I wasn’t let down.

Cut into small pieces, it takes less time to cook than potato. It has a similar texture, but it’s less starchy. It’s almost like a cross between a carrot and a potato, but with little flavor. That is, until you mix it with the ginger, coconut milk, and shrimp in this soup. Then it becomes all kinds of delicious.

 
Ginger Coconut Soup with Wai San and Shrimp Recipe
Serves 4
Wai San, a potato-like root veggie, makes a delicious addition to this soup. If you can't find it in your area, any type of potato can be substituted. Adjust the cooking time to cook until the potato you use is tender.
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Ingredients
  1. 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  2. 1 small yellow onion, diced
  3. 4 cloves garlic, minced
  4. 2 stalks celery, sliced
  5. ½-inch piece of ginger, peeled and grated
  6. 1 ½ cups peeled and chopped Wai San
  7. 1 (13.5 ounce) can coconut milk
  8. 3 cups seafood stock
  9. ½ pound cooked shrimp, chopped
  10. ½ teaspoon sea salt
  11. ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
  12. 2-3 green onions, sliced for garnish
Instructions
  1. Heat the olive oil over medium-high in a large soup pot. Add the onion, garlic and celery. Cook, stirring often, for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the vegetables begin to soften. Add the ginger. Add the Wai San and cook 1 more minute.
  2. Pour in the coconut milk and seafood stock. Bring to a low boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer. Allow the soup to simmer about 5 minutes or just until the Wai San is tender.
  3. Add the shrimp, salt, and pepper. Cook just until the shrimp are heated through, about 1 minute. Top each bowl of soup with green onions and serve warm.
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Roasted Garlic, Tomato and Black Bean Soup Recipe

November 7, 2012

In this soup recipe, plain tomato is made more flavorful with roasted garlic, and more filling with hearty black beans.

Roasted Garlic, Tomato and Black Bean Soup Recipe | Fake Food Free

 

Keeping an eye on healthy eating usually leads to one thing in my kitchen – soup. 

I have loads of frozen tomatoes waiting to be used, but chili wasn’t sounding right. I needed something more exciting than the basic tomato soup, too.

I’ve come to realize that a head of creamy, sweet roasted garlic makes just about everything better. This soup is no exception. Along with the garlic, I added some black beans for texture and protein.

Roasted Garlic, Tomato and Black Bean Soup Recipe | Fake Food Free

This soup is sweet, rich and hearty all at the same time. I used about a gallon bag full of mixed frozen tomatoes from the garden. Skin on, whole tomatoes. It all gets blended by the immersion blender so leaving everything intact isn’t a problem for me. You can use whatever you have on hand – frozen, fresh, canned, whole, puree – it will all ultimately result in a tasty soup!

Roasted Garlic, Tomato and Black Bean Soup Recipe
Serves 4
Plain tomato soup is made more flavorful with roasted garlic, and more filling with hearty black beans!
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Ingredients
  1. 1 head garlic
  2. 2 teaspoon olive oil
  3. 8 cups frozen whole tomatoes, thawed
  4. 2 tablespoon dried basil
  5. 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
  6. 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
  7. 1 teaspoon mascavo or raw sugar
  8. 1 1/2 cups cooked black beans, rinsed and drained
  9. Shredded parmesan cheese for serving
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Tear off about a 4-x-4-inch square of aluminum foil. Cut off the top third of the full head of garlic removing just enough so that all the cloves are exposed. Place the garlic in the center of the foil, cut-side up. Drizzle with the olive oil. Wrap the foil around the garlic and roast for 30 to 45 minutes, until soft. Remove from the the oven and allow to cool.
  2. While the garlic is roasted, begin to prepare the soup. Pour any excess water off of the thawed tomatoes. Place the tomatoes in a large soup pot and heat to medium-high. Allow the tomatoes to cook down, crushing them with a spoon or potato masher as they cook, for about 15 minutes. Remove and discard any foam that rises to the top.
  3. Stir in the basil, red pepper, salt, and sugar. Unwrap the garlic and squeeze all of the roasted cloves into a dish. Be sure to separate out any skin and leave only the soft flesh. Add the garlic to the soup. Remove from the heat.
  4. Use an immersion blender to blend the soup and puree the tomatoes. You can also transfer it in batches to a blender to do this. Once everything is smooth simmer the soup over medium heat for 5 more minutes and let the soup thicken.
  5. Finally stir in the black beans and heat through. Serve sprinkled with grated Parmesan cheese, if desired.
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Roasted Garlic, Tomato and Black Bean Soup Recipe | Fake Food Free

Thanks for reading! All images and content are the property of Fake Food Free unless otherwise stated. Please do not republish full recipes or images without written permission. What is okay? Feel free to Pin images, share links to my posts or share the photo in a round up post with the title of this recipe and a link back to the post. Confused about copyright and food blogs? Here is some helpful information on Recipe Attribution. If you want to use a photo or full recipe, just ask. I’m sure we can work something out.

Roasted Eggplant and Black Lentil Soup Recipe

September 16, 2012

This eggplant and black lentil soup recipe is one I came up with after a Kentucky Food Bloggers event at Whole Foods. I’ve used black lentils a lot more since then, but this recipe still remains a favorite for cool summer days and for transitioning into autumn. It’s thickened with eggplant puree and flavored with tahini and garam masala. 

Roasted Eggplant and Black Lentil Soup Recipe | Fake Food Free
 
It’s hard to believe that it has been almost a year since our Kentucky Food Blogger group got together. We attempted all spring and summer, but busy schedules wouldn’t allow us to find a date that would work for more than a couple people.
 
That changed this past Friday night with the help of Whole Foods Market in Lexington. We were invited out to attend a special edition of their Flights After 5 event. Flights After 5 is a Friday night get-together where 5 beer tastings are matched with 5 appetizers at stations throughout the store. Last Friday Kentucky beers were featured including two of my favorite breweries West Sixth and Lore Brewing.
 
 
 
Several area bloggers joined the staff at Whole Foods as they told us a bit about the work that they do, and about the mission of the store. I will admit that I’m not a 100% Whole Foods shopper, but I do appreciate the products I buy there – grains from the bulk bins, my puffed kamut, and Ataulfo mangos, when they are in season.
 
I really like that on their website you can find Unacceptable Ingredients for Food and their Meat Animal Welfare Standards. That makes shopping easy. Through my work in agriculture, I’ve come across many local meat producers and fruit and vegetable farmers who supply Whole Foods. The combination of local support and global projects makes me a fan. We also learned that they price match with surrounding competitors, which explains why I’ve always felt that many things at Whole Foods aren’t any more expensive than they are at other area supermarkets.
 
Along with a little education, good beer and snacks, and great company, we received every food bloggers favorite thing – a goodie bag! They kept our cooking in mind and filled it with several ingredients, perfect for putting together a few new recipes. I was happy to see black lentils in my bag. I’ve used their brand before, and I was excited to create something new with them.
 
 
Baba ganoush was one of the appetizer offerings that night so I had eggplant on my mind. Lucky me, we just happen to still have eggplant from the garden.
 
I had no idea what direction I would go with the soup, but the more I tasted it, the more I felt it needed some Indian influences, which ended up making it a lot like daal. (And I’m definitely not complaining.) Tahini and garam masala came to the rescue, and I added some crushed red pepper for heat. It turned out to be a great way to celebrate the start of comfort soup season!
 
Roasted Eggplant and Black Lentil Soup Recipe | Fake Food Free
 

 

Roasted Eggplant and Black Lentil Soup Recipe  
Makes: 4 to 6 servings
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Ingredients
  1. 6 small eggplants (you need about 1 cup roasted pulp)
  2. 1 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  3. 1 small onion, chopped
  4. 2 cloves garlic, minced
  5. 4-6 cups vegetable stock
  6. 2 tablespoons tahini
  7. 1 cup black lentils
  8. 1 teaspoon salt
  9. 1 teaspoon garam masala powder
  10. ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
  11. ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
  2. If your eggplant is round, de-stem and cut each in half. Longer Japanese style can be roasted whole. Lightly coat the eggplants with 1/2 tablespoons of the olive oil and spread in an even layer, cut side down, on a baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes, or until pulp is very soft. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
  3. In a soup pot, heat the 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high and add the onion and garlic. Cook over medium to medium-high until the onions begin to soften, about 3 minutes. Add 4 cups of the stock. (Reserve the remaining 2 cups to add later, if you want a thinner soup.) Simmer for about 3 minutes.
  4. Scoop out the cooled eggplant pulp and transfer it to the soup pot. Use an immersion blender to blend the eggplant, onions and garlic with the stock until smooth.
  5. Add the tahini, and bring the soup to a low boil. Stir in the lentils. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes or until the lentils are tender. Add the salt, garam masala, black pepper and crushed red pepper. Add more or less of each to taste. Simmer for another minute or two and serve.
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Voting for the Country Living Blue Ribbon Blogger Awards ends September 17, 2012! Fake Food Free is a finalist! If you enjoy my blog, I’d truly appreciate your vote for Reader’s Choice. You can vote here, no sign in or registration required.

Disclosure:  Some products in this recipe were given to me free of charge from Whole Foods Market. I was not required to post about them and received no compensation for doing so. Thoughts here are my own. 

 

 

Thanks for reading! All images and content are the property of Fake Food Free unless otherwise stated. Please do not republish full recipes and images without written permission. What is okay? Feel free to Pin images, share links to my posts or share the photo in a round up post with the title of this recipe and a link back to the post. Confused about copyright and food blogs? Here is some helpful information on Recipe Attribution. If you want to use a photo or full recipe, just ask. I’m sure we can work something out.  

Beer Cheese Tomato Soup Recipe

August 2, 2012
Beer Cheese Tomato Soup Recipe | Fake Food Free
When it comes to soup, tomato is my favorite. Before your mind jumps to visions of cans and concentrates, allow me to explain. Homemade tomato soup with fresh spices, splashes of balsamic vinegar and wines, and olive oil is what I’m talking about. I love it straight with basil, but sometimes I like to get fancy.
 
Enter beer cheese.
 
Okay, so maybe it’s not fancy, but it is a Kentucky staple. There is even a festival at which I had the opportunity to judge the competition last year. If you are unfamiliar, there are as many recipes as people who love it. But to simplify, it is cheddar and beer turned cheese spread. I’ve grown to love it, and I can no longer imagine a tailgate at a football game or at the horse track without it.
 
So when I was thinking about tomato soup for this round of the Tomato Love Recipe Exchange, I first considered beer. Then I considered cheddar. Then, well, why not?
Beer Cheese Tomato Soup Recipe | Fake Food Free
This recipe experiment is a winner. The mild tang of beer and the sharpness of cheddar pop with the sweet tomatoes. I may no longer be able to have tomato soup without beer cheese!
 
Beer Cheese Tomato Soup Recipe
Makes: 4-6 servings
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Basic Beer Cheese
  1. 4 oz. block of sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
  2. 2 tablespoons chopped onion
  3. 1 clove garlic, peeled
  4. 1 tablespoon hot sauce (I used sriracha)
  5. 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  6. ¼ cup beer (any variety, I like to use lagers)
Tomato Soup
  1. 1 tablespoon olive oil
  2. ¼ cup chopped onion
  3. 3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
  4. 4 lbs. tomatoes, cored and chopped
  5. 2 tablespoons dried basil
  6. 1 teaspoon sugar
  7. 1 teaspoon salt
  8. ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
  9. ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
  1. To make the beer cheese, to a small food processor add the cheddar cheese, 2 tablespoons of onion, 1 clove garlic, hot sauce and Worcestershire sauce. Pulse for 10 to 15 second intervals until the ingredients are blended. Pour in the beer and continue to pulse until it reaches a spreadable consistency. Set aside.
  2. To make the soup, in a 4 to 5-quart soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high. Add the 1/4 cup of onion and 3 garlic cloves. Cook for 2-3 minutes, until the onions soften. Add the tomatoes. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring often, for about 15 minutes.
  3. Once the tomatoes begin to break down, remove the pot from the heat. Use an immersion blender (or transfer in batches to a blender) to puree until smooth.
  4. Stir in the basil, sugar, salt, red pepper and black pepper. Return to the heat and simmer 2-3 minutes. Stir in the beer cheese. Serve warm.
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Beer Cheese Tomato Soup Recipe | Fake Food Free
 
Thanks for reading! All images and content are the property of Fake Food Free unless otherwise stated. Please do not republish full recipes and images without written permission. What is okay? Feel free to Pin images, share links to my posts or share the photo in a round up post with the title of this recipe and a link back to the post. Confused about copyright and food blogs? Here is some helpful information on Recipe Attribution. If you want to use a photo or full recipe, just ask. I’m sure we can work something out.   
 

Caribbean-style Pumpkin Soup

November 20, 2011
This creamy pumpkin soup uses scotch bonnet peppers for a subtle, pleasant heat.
 
Caribbean-style Pumpkin Soup | Fake Food Free
 
 

When we travel to Jamaica we always look forward to the pumpkin soup. Although the version I make at home uses a similar squash, I like the pumpkin soup of the Caribbean much better. It has taken me a long time to figure out what exactly makes the difference in the flavors.


First of all, there are the spices. Despite the fact I use pumpkin in all sorts of dishes, the temptation to put in a seasoning such as cinnamon or nutmeg is a force I can rarely overcome. After years of only eating pumpkin pie and bread it’s as if my brain says – there’s pumpkin, must add some variation of pumpkin pie spice – even when it’s a savory dish.


Second is the heat. I never added any type of hot peppers to my version, but I now believe that is what makes a pumpkin soup outstanding. It isn’t spicy; it’s just a mild, warming heat in the back of your throat after each bite. That’s accomplished with Scotch Bonnet peppers which I just happened to grow in our garden this year. They came on late, but I have a nice bag full in the freezer to pull from for occasions like this one.

Scotch Bonnet Pepper | Fake Food Free 
 

On one of our recent trips I picked up the cookbook, Eat Caribbean by Virginia Burke. Inside is a recipe for Pumpkin Lobster Bisque. Now pumpkin I had, but lobster I did not, so I tried modifying the recipe hoping it would turn out like the pumpkin soups we’ve had while traveling.


It’s definitely the closest I’ve come and much better than my standard version of winter squash soup. In this case, I think it’s the closest I want to get. Sometimes you want to make sure that there is still plenty of reasons to travel for the real thing.

Caribbean-style Pumpkin Soup | Fake Food Free

 

Caribbean-style Pumpkin Soup

Adapted from Pumpkin Lobster Bisque from Eat Caribbean by Virginia Burke

Makes: 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients

2 tbsp butter
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion, chopped
4 cups mashed roasted pumpkin 
3 tbsp of tomato sauce (or 2 plum tomatoes, peeled and chopped)
1 sprig fresh thyme
1 whole scotch bonnet pepper
1 ½ cup chicken or vegetable stock
1/3 cup cream or half and half
1 tsp fine ground sea salt, or to taste
1/4 tsp ground black pepper, or to taste
Croutons for garnish
 
Prep
 
In a small soup pot over medium-high heat, melt the butter and add the garlic and onion. Cook for about 3 minutes, reduce the heat if necessary to prevent burning the garlic. Add the pumpkin and tomato sauce. Next, add the thyme and scotch bonnet pepper. 
 
Pour in the stock, stir and bring to a simmer. Simmer over low to medium heat for 10-15 minutes, stir occasionally. If you want more heat, gently pierce the scotch bonnet pepper as it cooks. 
 
Remove the thyme sprig and pepper and discard. Remove the soup from the heat. Using an immersion blender, puree all the ingredients. Or you can transfer the soup to a blender, blend until smooth and return it to the pot. 
 
Stir in the cream. Add salt and pepper to taste. Return to low heat if necessary to heat the soup through.  Garnish with croutons, if desired. 
 
______________________________________
 
Thanks for reading! All images and content are the property of Fake Food Free unless otherwise stated. Please do not republish full recipes and images without written permission. What is okay? Feel free to Pin images, share links to my posts or share the photo in a round up post with the title of this recipe and a link back to the post. Confused about copyright and food blogs? Here is some helpful information on Recipe Attribution. If you want to use a photo or full recipe, just ask. I’m sure we can work something out.
 

Smoky Potato Soup with Kale

September 26, 2011

This hearty potato soup with kale is filled with smoky bacon ends and topped off with crunchy kale chips!

Smoky Potato Soup with Kale | Fake Food Free

Kale chips are the new cracker.

Since discovering kale chips last year, thanks to all my favorite food blogs, I can’t get enough of them. Every time I pull a pan out of the oven I still look at them, amazed that a leafy green can turn so crisp and tasty.

When I decided to make some potato soup tonight I wanted to add a little something extra so I decided on a little kale in the soup itself. Then one thing led to another and I was topping my bowl with kale chips before dinner. Now I’m officially proclaiming kale chips as my new cracker for all my soups!

Smoky Potato Soup with Kale | Fake Food Free

The soup starts with a little bacon. I’m able to get smoked, pastured bacon ends at our local meat shop which is perfect for this kind of thing. It chops up easily and I can use just what I need for each recipe.

Smoky Potato Soup with Kale | Fake Food Free

Once all the veggies are cooked, I finish it off with a little half and half from one of my favorite Kentucky dairies. This half and half is low heat pasteurized and non-homogenized so the creamy fat thickens the soup nicely. To finish it off with just a little more smoky flavor, I turn to some smoked paprika.

I was a rainy, cool day here and I have a feeling more days like this are to come. This soup fits in nicely with the change of seasons; hearty, creamy and filled with a good dose of dark, leafy greens.

Smoky Potato Soup with Kale

Makes: 4 servings

Ingredients

Kale Chips
2 cups kale, chopped
1/2 tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp fine ground sea salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

 

Soup
¼ cup smoked bacon ends, diced
2 ribs celery, sliced
1 large carrot, peeled and chopped
½ large onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
6 small potatoes, peeled and chopped
2 cups kale, chopped
2 tsp salt
½ tsp ground black pepper
1 ½ tsp smoked paprika
½ cup half and half

Prep

To make kale chips:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place the 2 cups of chopped kale pieces in a single layer on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with the olive oil, salt and pepper, and toss to coat. Bake at 400 degrees F for 15 to 20 minutes until crisp. 

To make the soup:

In a 3 to 4 quart soup pot, cook the bacon over medium heat until fat becomes visible in the bottom of the pan. Increase the heat to medium-high and add the celery, carrot and onion. Cook about 3 minutes and stir in the garlic. Continue to cook until the veggies are tender, about 5 more minutes.

Add the potatoes and cook for 2 minutes. Add water to the pot just to cover the potatoes. Bring to a boil and reduce to simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes. As soon as the potatoes become tender, add the kale. Cook just until wilted, about 1 minute.

Stir in the salt, pepper and paprika. Using a potato masher, gently mash the soup, breaking up some of the potatoes, but not all. Stir in the half and half. Transfer to serving bowls, top with kale chips and serve warm. 

Smoky Potato Soup with Kale | Fake Food Free

Thanks for reading! All images and content are the property of Fake Food Free unless otherwise stated. Please do not republish full recipes or images without written permission. What is okay? Feel free to Pin images, share links to my posts or share the photo in a round up post with the title of this recipe and a link back to the post. Confused about copyright and food blogs? Here is some helpful information on Recipe Attribution. If you want to use a photo or full recipe, just ask. I’m sure we can work something out.

Autumn Fish Chowder with Kamut

September 12, 2011
This warming fish chowder recipe combines the hearty, fall flavors of kamut and sweet potatoes with a tropical twist from coconut milk. 
Autumn Fish Chowder with Kamut Recipe | Fake Food Free
I saw a fish chowder in a magazine recently and immediately started thinking of ways I could adapt it. I thought fall, tropics and whole grains all at once, but wasn’t quite sure what direction to go with it.

So I went with all three.

After seeing kamut in a cold grain salad when eating out recently, I bought some hoping to substitute it for wheat berries sometime. If you haven’t had it before, when cooked, kamut has the chewy texture like a wheat berry although the grain is slightly longer. So that took care of the whole grain part.

The tropical part comes from coconut milk. Actually I could say tropical-slash-Asian because the soup reminds me of some we had in SE Asia. I worked in a little autumn with some diced sweet potato.

Autumn Fish Chowder with Kamut Recipe | Fake Food Free 

I was incredibly pleased with the result. While it was cooking, I spent the whole time thinking what type of herb or spice I would use to flavor it. Turns out I added nothing, but salt and pepper. All the other ingredients had plenty of flavor on their own.

I used cod as the white fish, and believe it or not, canned salmon. Obviously canned isn’t my first choice, but I had some that had been around a while and no fresh on hand. The soup would also be great with shrimp, scallops or any kind of seafood.
Autumn Fish Chowder with Kamut Recipe | Fake Food Free

Autumn Fish Chowder with Kamut
Inspired by Wild Rice & Fish Chowder, Midwest Living Recipes for All Seasons Vol. 2

Makes: 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients: 

1 tbsp unsalted butter
1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium sweet potato, peeled and chopped
1 large red potato, peeled and chopped
¾ cup kamut, cooked and drained
4 oz. white fish, cubed
4 oz. wild salmon, cubed (or canned salmon)
¾ cup coconut milk
1 tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper
Prep:
 
In a 3-quart soup pot, melt the butter and olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, cook about 7 minutes and then add the garlic. Stir in the potatoes and cook for 2 to 3 minutes longer. Stir in the kamut.
Add just enough water to barely cover the potatoes. Partially cover the pot with a lid, bring to a simmer over medium-high heat and cook 7 to 10 minutes or until the potatoes are slightly tender. Add the fish and simmer 3 to 5 minutes more, until the fish is cooked or heated through.
Stir in the coconut milk, salt and pepper. Serve warm. 
 
Autumn Fish Chowder with Kamut Recipe | Fake Food Free
 
Thanks for reading! All images and content are the property of Fake Food Free unless otherwise stated. Please do not republish full recipes and images without written permission. What is okay? Feel free to Pin images, share links to my posts or share the photo in a round up post with the title of this recipe and a link back to the post. Confused about copyright and food blogs? Here is some helpful information on Recipe Attribution. If you want to use a photo or full recipe, just ask. I’m sure we can work something out.
 
 

The Complete Kitchen Garden: Asparagus Soup with Coconut Lemon Crème

February 22, 2011

I reviewed the book, The Complete Kitchen Garden, a few years back and this asparagus soup recipe has become a favorite for spring!

Asparagus Soup with Coconut Lemon Crème from The Complete Kitchen Garden | Recipe and Review at FakeFoodFree.com

Every now and then you come across a cookbook and you know by the end of the year the pages will be lovingly spotted with random ingredients due to an extended time of it being open in the kitchen.

I’ve found that cookbook, and the only exception is that the pages of this one will likely be filled with smudges from dirty thumbs as well; dirty thumbs that have been hard at work in the garden.

 

 The Complete Kitchen Garden Cookbook 

I received a copy of The Complete Kitchen Garden by Ellen Ecker Ogden on Friday. Saturday I sat down and read it from cover to cover, all 250 pages. I can’t remember the last time I’ve done that with a book. This cookbook-slash-garden-guide is a beautiful balance of helpful gardening tips and fabulous recipes utilizing fresh, seasonal foods.

In it are plans and tips for 14 distinct gardens from The Salad Lover’s Garden to The Family Garden. What I like about this book is its simplicity. The tips are straightforward which prevent the reader from having to do a lot of searching for information that can be applied.

Last year was our first year of having a large garden, and despite the fact that we had decent success (with much help from my dad), I still find myself confused regarding what I did right and what I could improve on.

 Asparagus Soup with Coconut Lemon Crème Recipe

After reading this book, I have a much better grasp of what foods I should plant from seed and which I should start from plants. I also have all kinds of ideas of how to lay out our garden this year to make it more accessible and productive. The pictures and sketched garden plans in this book make everything come to life.

Now, about those recipes. It is impossible to pick a favorite. I cannot wait for garden and farmer’s market season so that I can make them all! Well, okay, except for the ones with beets, but that is just because I don’t like beets.

Rainbow Chard Enchiladas, Lemon Ricotta Fritters with Lavender Honey, Braised Winter Greens with Coconut and Curry, and Arugula and Mint Thai Soup are just a few of the 100 seasonal recipes the book features. And oh, the salad dressings! All kinds of delicious dressings to complement fresh greens can be found. There’s a good chance I’ll be making all of the dressings this summer.

So after reading all this I know you can’t wait to see which recipe I got to try out. How about Asparagus Soup with Coconut Lemon Crème? 

The author describes this soup as:

The first tender spears of asparagus are best enjoyed fresh and whole from the garden, but as the season progresses, the stalks get larger, and the crop more abundant, this is an excellent soup to prepare. Its light, lemony flavors blended with a hint of curry are delicious served warm or chilled, and topped with crème fraiche.

I didn’t have any crème fraiche nor the ingredients to make my own, so I substituted plain Greek yogurt. It too went wonderfully with the soup. As simple as the ingredients are, I found the soup to have such complex flavors between the asparagus, potatoes, coconut milk, curry, and lemon. It is warming and perfect for a cool spring day while also being refreshing.

Ingredients for Asparagus Soup with Coconut Lemon Crème

Be generous with the lemon. I found it really brought out the flavors of both the coconut milk and the asparagus.

Recipe for Asparagus Soup with Coconut Lemon Crème

 

Asparagus Soup with Coconut Lemon Crème
Serves 4 to 6
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Ingredients
  1. 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  2. 2 tablespoons olive oil
  3. 1 medium onion, finely chopped
  4. 12 to 18 asparagus spears, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch lengths (2 cups)
  5. 4 medium red-skinned potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice (2 cups)
  6. 3 cups vegetable or chicken broth
  7. 1 cup (8-ounce can) coconut milk
  8. Dash salt
  9. ½ teaspoon curry powder
  10. ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
  11. Zest and juice of 1 lemon
  12. Garnish
  13. 1 cup crème fraiche
  14. Scallions or chives, finely chopped, to taste
  15. Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Instructions
  1. In a large pot over medium heat, melt the butter and oil. Add the onion and salt and sauté stirring often, until the onion is golden, about 5 minutes.
  2. Stir in the curry powder, ginger, and half of the lemon zest and juice. Then add the potatoes and simmer, stirring occasionally, to blend the flavors, about 5 minutes.
  3. Slowly add the broth, coconut milk, and asparagus and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cover partially and continue to cook until the potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes.
  4. With an immersion blender, or in a food processor, puree the mixture until smooth. In a small bowl, blend the crème fraiche, remaining lemon zest and juice, scallions or chives, and salt and pepper.
  5. Serve the soup warm, garnished with a swirl of the seasoned crème fraiche.
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Disclaimer: A review copy of this book was sent to me by Abram Books. I was under no obligation to write about it and received no compensation for doing so.

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