Carrot-Coconut Soup: Simple & Thai-Inspired for Souper (Soup, Salad & Sammie) Sundays

In the midst of lots of not so healthy holiday eating, I am keeping it simple for this Sunday's soup, Mark Bittman's Carrot-Coconut Soup from his website. But simple can still be rich, with layers of flavors from Southeast Asian ingredients. I liked the description of this soup and have been craving Thai food and loved the sunny orange color it promised.

Bittman says, "Creamy soups are equally good without cream. Coconut milk, Southeast Asian flavors, and a little heat are an unbeatable combination in this pureed carrot soup."

Carrot-Coconut Soup
From MarkBittman.com
(Serves 4)
 
2 Tbsp good-quality vegetable oil
4 scallions, white & green parts separated & chopped
3 stalks lemongrass, trimmed, bruised & cut into 2-inch lengths
2 Tbsp chopped fresh ginger
1 Tbsp chopped garlic
1 or more small fresh hot chiles (like Thai or jalapeño), chopped
about 1 lbs carrots, chopped
salt
4 cups coconut milk, or 2 (14-oz cans) plus a little water
2 limes: 1 zested & juiced, 1 quartered for serving
1 tsp sugar (optional)
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro for garnish

Put the oil in a large pot over medium heat. When it’s hot, add the white parts of the scallions along with the lemongrass, ginger, garlic, and chiles. Cook, stirring and turning occasionally with a spatula, until the garlic is golden and the scallions and chiles begin to soften, 3 to 5 minutes.
 
Add the carrots and a large pinch of salt and stir to combine. Add the coconut milk, lime zest and juice, and 2 cups water. Bring the mixture to a boil, then lower the heat so it bubbles gently but steadily. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the carrots are very tender, 10 to 15 minutes.

Remove the pieces of lemongrass, then use an immersion blender to purée the soup in the pot. Or let the soup cool a little, carefully purée it in a blender (working in batches if necessary), and return it to the pot. (You can make the soup in advance up to this point. Cool, cover, and refrigerate for up to 2 days.) Reheat the soup until it’s hot without letting it come to a boil. Taste and adjust the seasoning, adding the sugar if you think the tanginess and heat need balancing. Garnish with cilantro and green parts of the scallions, and serve with lime wedges.

Notes/Results: I kept the recipe pretty much the same as Bittman with the exception of slightly reducing the coconut milk and adding a low-sodium not-chicken bouillon cube for extra flavor. I did end up adding a pinch of sugar and the soup was well-balanced with it's sweet, salty, tangy, spicy, and savory notes. Really delicious if you are a fan of Thai soups and excellent with rice to round it out for a light meal. I would happily make it again.

Linking up to I Heart Cooking Club where this week it is December Potluck--any recipe from any of our IHCC chefs. 

 
 Now let's take a look into the Souper Sundays kitchen:

Lovely Tina of Squirrel Head Manor shared a fish soup for Aurelia & Jamie's of Love actually for Food 'N Flix and said, "In the spirit of that story line I made a Portuguese Fish Stew. This is a recipe from David Leite’s book, The New Portuguese Table. I know if I had picked the prime minister and Natalie story line I would’ve gone with chocolate biscuits. ... This is an easy stew to make and while it doesn't have potatoes or rice, it is very filling if served with homemade bread."

 

My pal Debra of Eliot's Eats brought a Holiday Hero Sandwich and said, "Use this for your next tailgate (or Superbowl Party or Christmas Eve festivities). I made this for our Christmas Eve buffet last year. Be a Holiday Hero and construct this sandwich this year (or for a New Year’s Eve party next year). ... Adjust the ingredients to the size of your loaf. Get really crazy and use a loaf you have to measure in meters!"

Thank you Tina & Debra for joining in this week! 
 
About Souper Sundays:

Souper Sundays (going since 2008) now has a format of a picture link each week where anyone interested can post their soups, salads, or sandwiches at any time during the week and I post a recap of the entries the following week.

(If you aren't familiar with Souper Sundays, you can read about of the origins of it here. 
If you would like to join in Souper (Soup, Salad, and Sammie) Sundays, I would love to have you! Here's how...

To join in this week's Souper Sunday's linkup with your soup, salad or sandwich:

• Link up your soup (stew, chili, soupy curries, etc. are fine), salad, or sandwich dish, (preferably one from the current week or month--but we'll take older posts too) on the picture link below and leave a comment on this post so I am sure not to miss you. Also please see below for what to do on your blog post that you link up her in order to be included in the weekly round-up.

and 

On your entry post (on your blog):

• Mention Souper (Soup, Salad & Sammies) Sundays at Kahakai Kitchen and link back to this post. (Not to be a pain but it's polite and only fair to link back to events you link up at--so if you link a post up here without linking back to it on your post, it will be removed.)
• You are welcome to add the Souper Sundays logo to your post and/or blog (optional).

 

An InLinkz Link-up

Have a happy, healthy week and a Happy New Year!
 

Ruth Reichl's Hot (Vegan) Vichyssoise for Souper (Soup, Salad & Sammie Sundays)

For this week's soup, I went to Ruth Reichl's blog where I found this hot Hot (Vegan) Vichyssoise. Basically it's a simple potato and leek soup, but there is nothing wrong with that. Ruth's recipe included dairy so it was a vegetarian soup but I used vegan butter and coconut milk to make mine vegan.

Ruth says, "It's so clear today that from where I'm sitting I can see both the Catskills and the Adirondacks, and if I get out the binoculars I can just make out Lake George far to the north. It feels like spring is trying to arrive, and yet there's not a single local vegetable in the market and it feels like soup weather. And so I ended up making this warm, vegetarian version of the rich, cold summer soup, Vichyssoise. It is not, by the way, a French dish. It was invented at the Ritz Hotel in New York in 1917 by Chef Louis Diat (who went on to become the resident chef at Gourmet Magazine in the fifties.)"

Hot Vegetarian Vichyssoise
Slightly Adapted from RuthReichl.com
(Serves 4)

4 large leeks, cleaned well of sand, white part finely chopped--about 5 cups
1 Tbsp unsalted butter (I used vegan butter)
1/2 cup finely chopped onions
4 cups vegetable stock (Ruth includes a recipe on her post)
5 small russet potatoes, finely chopped 
1 1/2 tsp salt (or to taste)
1 cup whole milk
1 cup half-and-half  
garnish--chopped scallions or chives & a squeeze of lemon if desired

Cook the leeks and onions slowly in the butter until they're soft and translucent, about 10 minutes. The quantity will reduce considerably.
 
Add the hot vegetable stock,  the potatoes, and the salt. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer for thirty minutes, partially covered. 
 
Strain the mixture and puree the leeks and potatoes in a food processor. 
 
Whisk the puree into the strained liquid, add a cup of milk, and a cup of half and half.  
 
Bring to a boil and the very carefully puree the entire mixture again to make an extremely smooth soup. (Hot soup can be very painful when it hits your skin.)
 
Add a splash of lemon juice, taste for seasoning, and garnish with chopped chives or scallions.

Notes/Results:  A tasty and simple soup--perfect for a cool day. I got lazy and I didn't puree and strain the sou--just blended about half of it in my blender. I actually like it to be a chunkier soup and with the blending and the coconut milk--it still ends up silky, rich and creamy. I wasn't feeling the lemon juice, so I just topped my soup with green onions. I would happily make it again.

Linking up this take on a classic soup and one of my traditions (making soup on Sundays) with I Heart Cooking Clubs for this week's Traditions & Classics theme.

Now let's take a look into the Souper Sundays kitchen:

Tina of Squirrel Head Manor made a warm and comforting recipe from the SkinnyTaste cookbook and said, "Broccoli Cheese Potato Soup to warm the bones. It's not as cheesy as this photo makes it look, but there is a good amount of cheese. You may notice something that's different from other versions of this broccoli soup - it's not blended.  Yep, I made the soup and forgot to use the immersion blender to smooth all the chunks out. But still - it was good."

 
Thank you Tina for joining in this week! 
 
About Souper Sundays:

Souper Sundays (going since 2008) now has a format of a picture link each week where anyone interested can post their soups, salads, or sandwiches at any time during the week and I post a recap of the entries the following week.

(If you aren't familiar with Souper Sundays, you can read about of the origins of it here. 
If you would like to join in Souper (Soup, Salad, and Sammie) Sundays, I would love to have you! Here's how...

To join in this week's Souper Sunday's linkup with your soup, salad or sandwich:

• Link up your soup (stew, chili, soupy curries, etc. are fine), salad, or sandwich dish, (preferably one from the current week or month--but we'll take older posts too) on the picture link below and leave a comment on this post so I am sure not to miss you. Also please see below for what to do on your blog post that you link up her in order to be included in the weekly round-up.

and 

On your entry post (on your blog):

• Mention Souper (Soup, Salad & Sammies) Sundays at Kahakai Kitchen and link back to this post. (Not to be a pain but it's polite and only fair to link back to events you link up at--so if you link a post up here without linking back to it on your post, it will be removed.)
• You are welcome to add the Souper Sundays logo to your post and/or blog (optional).

An InLinkz Link-up

 
 Have a happy, healthy week! Happy Holidays!
 

Vegan (or Vegetarian with the Toppings) Chili for Souper (Soup, Salad, & Sammie) Sundays

I have been alternating soup with canned vegetarian chili the last couple of weeks for lunches, so this weekend I decided to make my own vegan chili for hearty lunches and dinners for the busy pre-holiday week.

I tried Lightlife Smart Ground Meatless Mexican Crumbles for the first time, liking that they had a Mexican spiced one. You could use any soy crumble, a ground meat of choice, or make and crumble your own tofu based on your preferences or what is available.There are no tomatoes in this chili because the can of fire-roasted tomatoes I thought I had in my pantry turned out to be peaches. I could have gone to the store or added tomato paste, but I was pretty happy with my combination of spices and felt like the tomatoes weren't necessary. Of course a can would be great in here--just reduce your broth a little if using.

 
Vegan Chili with Soy Crumbles
By Deb, Kahakai Kitchen
(Makes 8 Servings)

2 Tbsp olive or coconut oil
2 small sweet onions, diced
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp roasted garlic powder
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp coriander
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp chipotle powder
1/2 tsp Aleppo pepper
1 package soy crumbles, Mexican-spiced if possible
2 1/2 cups vegetable broth (I used mushroom stock)
2 (16 oz) cans low-sodium pinto beans, drained
1 (16 oz) can low-sodium black beans, drained
1 (16 oz) can low-sodium kidney beans, drained
sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper 
To garnish: fresh cilantro, yogurt or sour cream, cheese of choice and hot sauce is desired

In a large heavy pan, heat oil over medium heat. When hot, add onion and cook about 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally until onions are translucent and begin to soften. Add the cumin, garlic powder, oregano, coriander, smoked paprika, ground cinnamon, and assorted chili powders and cook for another minute or two, or until spices are fragrant. Add the soy crumbles, breaking them apart with a wooden spoon and saute, stirring for 5 minutes. 

Add the broth and beans and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook at a gentle simmer, stirring occasionally, for about an hour, until liquid cooks down and mixture thickens. (If mixture gets too thick, add a bit more broth or water until it is the consistency you like.) Taste for seasoning and add hot sauce, sea salt and black pepper to taste. 

Serve chili hot in bowls, topped with grated cheese, yogurt or sour cream or other toppings of choice. Serve with Frito's and extra hot sauce if desired. 

Notes/Results: Three things about this chili: 1) YUM!  2) I did not miss the tomatoes and 3) The soy crumbles were great, giving flavor and the texture of ground meat. I think even meat lovers would have a hard time guessing it wasn't ground meat. I love the flavor in this one--a little smoky with a nice spicy kick. Of course the Fritos are optional but they do make chili more fun--as do the toppings. I have an avocado that wasn't quite ripe enough today, and some pickled jalapenos that I'll add in during the week and you can omit the cheese and yogurt or use vegan versions if you want to keep it vegan. I would happily make it again. 

Now let's take a look into the Souper Sundays kitchen:

A big Souper Sundays welcome to Liz of Spades, Spatulas & Spoons, joining us for the first time this week with Spiced Chickpea & Chicken Stew with Coconut & Turmeric. She says, "This recipe originally appeared in the NY Times without the chicken. I wanted something heartier for a visiting friend who had driven 3.5 hours to visit us up on the coast. This was the perfect dinner after a long drive on a cold and rainy autumn evening. The coconut sauce is amazing, you really need something to soak it up. Serve it with lavash or other flatbread for dunking if you have some. Not having those in the cupboard, I served it over brown rice. I consider this comfort food as well as (somewhat) health food. It is a soupy stew and could also be considered a thick soup." 

 
Tina of Squirrel Head Manor made Braised Pork and Apple Stew from a new cookbook and said, "This pork and apple stew gets an A+ and I hope Doug makes it again soon. Unbelievably tender and so flavorful, the apples could be doubled next  time :-) It's a good winter stew, something to warm the bones when it's cold outside. This is brothy enough that you'll want some good quality bread, hopefully homemade, for dipping. The apples look like potatoes, don't they?"

My fellow Hawaii-based blogger Claudia of Honey From Rock shared Oxtail Soup--The Alley Restaurant Way from a popular Oahu Eatery that happens to be a bowling alley. She said, "... However, the Oxtail soup was TO DIE FOR. Thus today's post, wherein I attempt to duplicate their soup. Luckily, Chef Glen was interviewed on a local program, and shared his secrets (handed down from his mother). Nothing written out, but he demonstrated pretty clearly, and there were a few versions online that purported to be authentic."
 

Judee of Gluten Free A-Z Blog brought Low Carb Tomato "Cauliflower" Rice Soup and said, "Roasted tomatoes, sweet carrots, and hot pepper to taste, makes a delightful soup that is sure to warm you up on a damp chilly day. ... This delicious rich orange soup is easy to make and provides an excellent variety of health building nutrients, antioxidants and vital fiber! For the record it's vegan, parve, nut free, soy free and gluten free as well- perfectly allergy friendly!"

 
Thanks to everyone who joined me this week!

About Souper Sundays:

Souper Sundays (going since 2008) now has a format of a picture link each week where anyone interested can post their soups, salads, or sandwiches at any time during the week and I post a recap of the entries the following week.

(If you aren't familiar with Souper Sundays, you can read about of the origins of it here. 
If you would like to join in Souper (Soup, Salad, and Sammie) Sundays, I would love to have you! Here's how...

To join in this week's Souper Sunday's linkup with your soup, salad or sandwich:

• Link up your soup (stew, chili, soupy curries, etc. are fine), salad, or sandwich dish, (preferably one from the current week or month--but we'll take older posts too) on the picture link below and leave a comment on this post so I am sure not to miss you. Also please see below for what to do on your blog post that you link up her in order to be included in the weekly round-up.

and 

On your entry post (on your blog):

• Mention Souper (Soup, Salad & Sammies) Sundays at Kahakai Kitchen and link back to this post. (Not to be a pain but it's polite and only fair to link back to events you link up at--so if you link a post up here without linking back to it on your post, it will be removed.)
• You are welcome to add the Souper Sundays logo to your post and/or blog (optional).

An InLinkz Link-up

Have a happy, healthy week!
 

The Book Tour Stops Here: A Review of "Christmas on the Island" by Jenny Colgan, Served with Shortbread Dipped in White Chocolate & Candy Cane Sprinkles

Happy Aloha Friday! We are on the downward slope to Christmas and it's the perfect time for a cozy holiday story and a visit to the Island of Mure in Christmas on the Island by Jenny Colgan. Accompanying my review of the third book in this charming series is an easy tea-time or cookie tray treat, Scottish shortbread, dipped in white chocolate and topped with a sprinkling of crushed candy canes. 

Publisher's Blurb:

On the remote Scottish island of Mure, the Christmas season is stark, windy, and icy—yet incredibly festive and beautiful…

It’s a time for getting cozy in front of whisky barrel wood fires, and enjoying a dram and a treacle pudding with the people you love—unless, of course, you’ve accidentally gotten pregnant by your ex-boss, and don’t know how to tell him. In the season for peace and good cheer, will Flora find the nerve to reveal the truth to her nearest and dearest? Will her erstwhile co-parent Joel think she’s the bearer of glad tidings—or is this Christmas going to be as bleak as the Highlands in midwinter?

Meanwhile Saif, a doctor and refugee from war-torn Syria is trying to enjoy his first western Christmas with his sons on this remote island where he’s been granted asylum. His wife, however, is still missing, and her absence hangs over what should be a joyful celebration. Can the family possibly find comfort and joy without her?

Travel to the beautiful northern edge of the world and join the welcoming community of Mure for a Highland Christmas you’ll never forget!

Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks; Reprint edition (October 16, 2018)

My Review:

Jenny Colgan books are good for when the world overwhelms and you need a sweet and engaging escape. As this is the third book set on the Scottish island and quirky community of Mure, it is like visiting and catching up with old friends. (That's also why you really should read the first two books before this one--so you can come into Christmas on the Island knowing and appreciating all of the characters and storylines.) In this book, winter and the holidays are ramping up which is keeping Flora and her team at the Seaside Kitchen very busy. Flora finds out she's pregnant (not a spoiler, it's in the publisher's blurb) and is nervous about Joel's reaction with good reason of course as Joel is still recovering from his challenges in the last book while traveling for Colton, and his and Flora's relationship still tenuous. The supporting cast is back with continuations of their stories (I won't go into those as I don't want to give away anything) and although this one does wrap up without any real cliffhanger, it feels open enough to come back for more stories about the community (perhaps a Saif-centered plot line?) which I like.  

Jenny Colgan creates enjoyable, often quirky characters that you can't help but root for and fills her books with both humor and poignant moments. She also fills them with food and includes a few recipes at the end. If you are looking for something not too heavy and a holiday read that will tug at your heartstrings, this is a great book to snuggle up to with a cup of tea and a piece of shortbread or two.

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Author Notes: Jenny Colgan is the New York Times-bestselling author of numerous novels, including The Bookshop on the Corner, Little Beach Street Bakery, and Summer at Little Beach Street Bakery, all international bestsellers. Jenny is married with three children and lives in London and Scotland.

Find out more about Jenny at her website, and connect with her on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.


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Food Inspiration: 

Jenny Colgan books usually have plenty of food and with the baked goods and foods that flora creates in the bakery, Fintan's cheeses and food-filled town events in Mure, Christmas on the Island is no exception. Food mentions include cakes, pies, pastries and slices of fruitcake, roast chicken, fish, toast with butter, mincemeat tarts, cheese scones, sandwiches, turnips, sausage rolls, a Cumbrae pinwheel (stuffed pork loin)  and bacon roll with a cranberry jelly, tea, Shepherd pie, gin & tonic, hot soup and a toasted sandwich, mince pies, hot dogs, spice cookies, pancakes with maple syrup and bacon, dusted cinnamon rolls, millionaire shortbread, fish and chips ("haddock and chips with extra crispy bits and plenty of vinegar and a large bottle of Irn Bru"), haggis, a saveloy (type of sausage), mulled wine, orange juice, a plain biscuit, vol-au-vents (puff pastry), porridge, Heinz tomato soup, vegetarian stuffing, chipolatas (sausages), shortbread Drambuie, turkey, red cabbage, bread sauce, venison, fresh vegetable soup, French toast, and shortbread.

I'll be honest here, I was going to make fish cakes or pancakes for my book-inspired dish so I could also work it into I Heart Cooking Clubs monthly dish/ingredient challenge but I taught several leadership classes this week and was tired and behind on everything. The recipes for Lanark Blue Scones and Shortbread in the back of the book caught my eye but I just couldn't bring myself to try to bake. I decided to cheat and buy some Walkers shortbread instead and jazz it up for the holidays with white chocolate and crushed candy canes. 

There isn't much of a recipe here. I just line a small pan with parchment paper, crush 3-4 small candy canes, heat the about 1 cup of good white chocolate chips carefully in the microwave, stirring until melted. I then brush any excess crumbs off of the shortbread pieces, dunk one end in the melted white chocolate and sprinkle the tops with the crushed candy canes. When finished, set the pan in the fridge for 10 minutes or so to harden and enjoy.

Notes/Results: Yes, I am a bit guilty about not actually cooking something to go with the book, but these little cookie treats are so tasty and fun and take such minimum effort that I was over that guilt pretty quickly. The shortbread is so buttery, but the cool flavor of the candy cane sprinkles keep it from being too rich or sweet. They took just minutes to make and set up quickly--ready to enjoy with a cup of tea (it's Sugar Cookie Sleigh Ride by Celestial Seasonings in the pictures). I think they would be a fun gift or look cute tucked into a cookie platter. I will happily make them again.

I'm sharing this post with the Weekend Cooking event at Beth Fish Reads, a weekly event that is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share. For more information, see the welcome post.

Christmas on the Island is my twelfth foodie book entry for the Foodies Read 2018 event. You can check out the December 2018 Foodies Read linkup, hosted by Heather at Based on a True Story, to see what everyone is reading this month.    

Note: A review copy of "Christmas on the Island" was provided to me by the author and the publisher Harper Collins via TLC Book Tours. I was not compensated for this review and as always, my thoughts and opinions are my own. You can see the stops for the rest of this TLC Book Tour and what other reviewers thought about the book here.