Vegetarian Thai Coconut Soup with Sweet Potato and Kale
Yield: 4- 6 Servings
Prep: 15 minutesminutes
Cook: 30 minutesminutes
Total: 45 minutesminutes
A delicious, fragrant, vegan Thai coconut soup prepared with sweet potato and kale. An easy, everyday friendly Tom Kha Gai from the Love and Lemons Everyday cookbook! Serve with fresh herbs, lime wedges, and sliced chiles.
Ingredients
2stalks lemongrass
1teaspoonraw virgin coconut oil
½medium yellow onionthinly sliced
12ouncescreminibaby bella mushrooms, stemmed and sliced
2(14-ounce) cansfull-fat coconut milk Aroy-D brand is my favorite brand and Whole Foods 365 Organic is good too
1½cups (360 mL)wateror up to 3 cups (720 mL) for a lighter broth
1tablespoonminced fresh ginger
2garlic clovesminced
1large sweet potatochopped
1jalapeno pepperstemmed and diced
1small bunch cilantro (about ½ cup)stems diced and leaves chopped
zest and juiceof 2 limes
tamarior soy sauce, for seasoning (optional)
4cupsloosely packed kalechopped
2cupscooked jasmine rice
½cupfresh mint leaves
sliced red chile peppers, serrano peppers, or sriracha sauce
Instructions
Prepare the lemongrass by cutting off the root end and the tough upper stem of the stalks. Smash the stalks with a rolling pin (*a tenderizer or the side of a wide chef's knife also works!) to loosen the layers. Pull off the thick outer layers and dice the inner, tender parts. This should yield about ¼ cup chopped lemongrass. Set aside.
Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, mushrooms, and ½ teaspoon kosher salt and cook, stirring occasionally, for 8 minutes, or until softened.
Stir in the lemongrass, coconut milk, 1½ cups water, ginger, garlic, sweet potato, jalapeño, and cilantro stems. If you prefer a lighter broth, add up to 1½ cups more water. Simmer over low heat for 20 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes are fork-tender.
Add the lime zest and juice. Taste, then add an additional ½ teaspoon of salt, if desired, and tamari (or soy sauce), if using. Add the chopped kale and simmer just until wilted, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the cilantro leaves just before serving.
Serve with the rice, fresh mint, cilantro, and chile peppers, if using, and tamari (or soy sauce) on the side.