I was on vacation with my family in Florida and we went to this restaurant that had many vegan and vegetarian options. One of the dishes I loved was this 5 spice tomato coconut soup. It was creamy, it was delicious, and just lightly spiced. I decided to make my own take on this using only fresh vine-ripened tomato, coconut milk, carrots, onion and celery. It did not miss the mark. the soup was scrumptious and I will definitely be making it again!
Health Stuff
Tomatoes are rich in lycopene, an antioxidant that protects our bodies from harmful free-radicals. It is also a great source of biotin, which helps grow healthy skin and hair, in addition to a list of other vitamins and nutrients. Coconut milk is a rich creamy liquid made from the meat of mature coconuts, which makes it a great vegan alternative to cream for thickening soups. It is also rich in Vitamins C E and B to help boost immunity. Though high in fat, they do not contain any trans fatty acids that clog arteries.
Spiced Creamy Tomato Coconut Soup (V)
Ingredients
- 6 vine ripened tomatoes or any ripe tomato of your choice
- 2-3 carrots peeled and chopped
- 2 stalks of celery chopped
- 1 small onion chopped
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/2-1 tsp grated ginger
- 1 can coconut milk
5 Spices:
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- 1 tsp turmeric powsder
- 1 pinch nutmeg
- 3-5 whole peppercorns
- 1/2 tsp red chili powder or cayenne
Instructions
Prep
- The first step in the preparation is to blanch the tomatoes in boiling water for just 30 seconds to 1 minute. This means bring the water to a boil for just a minute before turning off and draining.
- Immediately submerge the tomatoes in a bath of ice cold water. This will help to peel all of the skins off.
- Chop all the other veggies.
Prepare the soup
- In a pot, heat a few tsps of oil (I used olive oil and a dash of coconut oil)
- Sauté the onion, carrot, and celery for 2-3 minutes
- Add a bay leaf, 1 tsp of cumin powder, a half a tsp of turmeric, 3-5 whole peppercorns and a dash of nutmeg, and chili powder to taste.
- Grate in about 1/2 - 1 tsp of ginger and stir.
- Add Tomatoes and mix well.
- Allow the tomatoes to reduce a bit before adding salt and enough water to cover by about an inch.
- Simmer on medium for 10-15 minutes
- Turn off flame and remove the bay leaf.
- Add half a can of coconut milk and more cold water depending on the thickness on the soup.
- Blend the mixture in a blender, or use immersion blender. If the soup is too thin, return it to the flame and simmer.
- Add salt, pepper and nutmeg as needed.
- Garnish with toasted coconut, pumpkin seeds and serve with croutons!
To Make the Croutons:
- Preheat the oven to 350
- Cut 5 slices of a bread of your choice into cubes. (I used whole grain)
- Drizzle a heathy amount of olive oil
- Season well with italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt, and pepper
- Mix together and lay flat on a cookie sheet.
- Bake in the oven from 10-15 minutes until it is crunchy
Servings: 4 bowls of soup
gorgeous