Thursday 16 August 2012

NCR African Curried Coconut Soup

Last night I needed easy for dinner.  E was out, Sylvia was eating on go-slow and I was waiting to hear that a new niece had arrived.  I found an impressive looking recipe for African Curried Coconut Soup with Chickpeas on Joanne's Eats Well With Others blog.  She always manages to make heaps of vegies and protein look delicious.  With tinned legumes, pre-cooked quinoa, and some kale from my mum's garden, this came together quickly.

I also added a few leftovers from the fridge and have tried to reflect this in the recipe.  What is sometimes harder to reflect in writing the recipe is that I took some of bits and pieces out of the other ingredients to feed Sylvia.  I gave her some of the cooked quinoa to try.  She wasn't keen.  Too strange?  I was sneaky.  I'd hang my head in shame if it hadn't been such an inspired move.  I added some quinoa to some mashed potato and wholemeal flour to make amazing Tattie Scones.  We all loved them.  Great accompaniment to the soup.

Which brings me to the vexed question of soup.  E likes to tease me that a spoon can stand up in my soup.  When I first added all the ingredients (see second photo) I thought it was a really soupy soup.  I put Sylvia to bed and came back to have my dinner and found that the soup had thickened and the spoon was indeed standing upright.  So yes, I love soups that might well be stews in another kitchen.

I am sending this soup to Jacqueline for No Croutons Required.  This month the theme is coconuts.  And congratulations to Fran and John on the arrival of wee Stella!

Previously on Green Gourmet Giraffe:
One year ago: Potage St Germain
Two years ago: Florentines, salads and what's in a name
Three years ago: WHB Broccoli – brassica royalty
Four years ago: Lemony Dressing for a Quinoa Salad
Five years ago: Collingwood children’s farm – peppercorn trees and...

Hearty African Curried Coconut Soup
Adapted from the Tropical Vegan Kitchen via Eats Well With Others
Serves 4 

1/2 cup dried quinoa
1 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 medium carrot, peeled and diced
1 medium red capsicum, diced
2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tsp each curry powder, cumin, mustard powder, chilli paste
2 cups vegetable stock
400g tin of coconut milk
400g chickpeas, rinsed and drained
400g brown lentils, rinsed and drained
2 tomatoes, chopped
(I added a little leftover tomato sauce and roasted pumpkin - optional)
1/2 tsp salt (I forgot this)
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
100g black kale, chopped
160g baby spinach

Cook the quinoa by cooking in 1 cup water, bring to the boil and simmer about 20 minutes.

Heat olive oil in a stockpot.  (I used a large saucepan which was a wee bit too small.)  Fry onion, carrot and capsicum for about 10-15 minutes or until soft.  Stir in garlic and spices for about a minute or until fragrant.

Add remaining ingredients except spinach.  Simmer for about 10 minutes.  Check seasoning and adjust to taste.  Add baby spinach and cook another few minutes until spinach is wilted.  Serve warm.

On the Stereo:
Bismarck (Original Soundtrack) - Peer Raben

24 comments:

  1. So this looks exactly like the kind of healthful dish I need to be eating instead of candy right now. Oh Utah, you are not a mecca of vegetables.

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    1. Thanks Hannah - it is exactly the sort of dish I wish for when I am travelling - am sure Utah has much else to offer :-)

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  2. The flavours in this sound really nice, a lot of the African stew recipes I have seen include peanut butter which I'm not fond of. Sometimes I find that stew recipes are too watery and almost like soup, I much prefer thick hearty versions of both soups and stews. I love your photo of the spoon standing up!

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    1. Thanks Mel - I have only come across African stews with peanut butter which I like but I avoid for Sylvia's sake (not that she eats these soups but I live in hope)

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  3. this looks just like my cup of tea -- bowl of soup! :) haha I LOVE a thick soup and this looks just perfect!

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    1. Thanks GF happy tummy - thick soups are great - all you need for a satisfying meal

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  4. I think I definitely have to call this a stew :-) But - whatever the name, it looks wonderful. I think my mum would love it too as she enjoys African flavours. I chuckled at the quinoa in scones too. Inspired indeed!

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    1. Thanks Kari - honestly it seemed to go from soup to stew to soup again - it was a chameleon so I thought I could call it what I wanted. I am not really clear about what are african flavours - but I am a dab hand at tattie scones

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  5. That pic of the spoon standing up is just hilarious (and the soup sounds brilliant too). I love big, thick, meal-in-a-bowl soups, especially vege-filled ones. But sigh, they are not very child-friendly, are they - or at least not with kids the age of yours and mine. Quinoa scones sound pret rad though, definitely going to check those out!

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    1. Thanks Lucy - it made me laugh to see the spoon standing up - though once I stirred it, it was more soupy. Unfortunately Sylvia does not appreciate such soups or stews but I hope she will one day (despite knowing a few people who hated soups right into adulthood). The quinoa scones were a great way to make the potato scones healthier - we often have mashed potato over for them but now I want to try with quinoa more

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  6. Johanna, that is some sturdy soup! I really like chunky, thick soups so this sounds perfect for my tastes :)

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    1. Thanks Lorraine - sturdy is just the way I like to be able to describe my soups :-)

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  7. This is my kind of soup. I was going to make a soup but our summer is still more suited to salads right now.

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    1. Thanks Lisa - coconut milk really loves curry and chilli so I imagine this challenge is right up your street - glad you found an interesting salad to fit the bill

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  8. This looks great. Love the pic of your soup and the spoon standing up in it ;-)

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    1. Thanks Recipe Junkie - the picture amused me too

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  9. I prefer a soup that a spoon will stand up in - I don't like watery soups. This one looks delicious, and the coconut is a fab flavour. Oooh, and the sun has just come out!

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    1. Thanks Cakelaw - seems the consensus is that thicker soups are best - I don't really understand watery soups but then again this is my dinner not a starter. Was nice to see the sun out after all the rain yesterday morning!

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  10. I'd love a bowl of this! I'm totally with you on the "spoon-should-stand-up-in-it" type of soups. The only thin soup I think I ever eat is miso! Sounds great.

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    1. Thanks Ricki - oh yes I had forgotten miso soup - that has to be thin - but even then I love to pack mine with veg and tofu

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  11. This sounds very good! A friend of mine recently brought me a serving of a vegan African peanut and tomato soup she made, and it was very good as well. I'm a fan of stews like that and look forward to autumn which is stewing time. :)

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    1. Thanks Kath - African peanut and tomato soup sounds delicious - I am making the most of stews and soups because the warmer weather hits us :-)

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  12. This looks awesome, Johanna. I also gravitate to the stewy soups... Love hearty meal-in-a-bowl dishes. I bookmarked this recipe, too, so I am glad to hear it worked out well. :)

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    1. Thanks Janet - a meal in one bowl is fantastic - especially when I then have leftovers in one container - hope you enjoy it

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