Thai-inspired Coconut Vegetable Soup

I love Thai food and recently I've explored ways to make a coconut-based soup adapted to my crockpot lifestyle. This one turned out pretty good. I hope you agree!

Coconut milk is nutritious and cooling, according to traditional ayurvedic medicine — which is probably why it is frequently used in spicy Southeast Asian cooking. Although coconut milk is high in calories (about 250 per half cup), nutritionist George Rapitis says, “The saturated fat in coconut is made up of short-chain and medium-chain fatty acids that the body quickly turns into energy instead of storing as fat.” But if you’re concerned about calories, try light coconut milk.*

Thai-inspired veggie soup (everything organic, of course):

1/2 cup red lentils
1/2 cup quinoa
Wash and add about 1.5 quarts of water
Bring to a boil and transfer to your crockpot.
Stuff as much lemongrass dry herb as you can in a tea infuser and let it cook in with the grain and lentils. Fresh lemongrass directly in the soup would also be wonderful if you can find it.

Simmer on high, and come back after your morning routine, at least half hour or until the lentils are soft.

Add 1 cup prepped broccoli, and 1 cup yellow or green beans cut into manageable pieces. (I’m delighted to have so much local organic food available in my area!)

In a saucepan, heat 1 cup of coconut milk, add 1 full Tbs of fresh grated ginger root, and 1 full tsp of Green Thai Curry Paste, and 1/2 tsp of turmeric. Simmer for 1-2 minutes then transfer to the crockpot.

Add 1 level tsp of mineral salt, and a handful of fresh cilantro leaves.

Stir, ladle, and away you go with thermoses in hand! (Makes about 4 servings)

Alternatives to try: Rice would be nice as a substitute grain. Basil instead of cilantro would make for equally yummy variety. Zucchini, yellow squash, and mung bean sprouts would be delicious alternatives. A handful of sunflower seeds would be tasty and add protein. Tofu would be good too. This recipe is pretty mild, so you could add some red chilis or more ginger if you like it hot.

* Check out a fun website for nutrition and fitness info: www.livestrong.com. According to the customizable calorie and fitness tracker, I can burn the calories from the coconut milk (based on 2 servings of this soup) by surfing or playing competitive volleyball for an hour. If I’ve used light coconut milk, 20 minutes of vigorous barn cleaning will do the job...