Remember last week how we talked about my Grandma’s Butter Walnut Cookies and how they are my mom’s favorite. cookie. ever? Well, this is my favorite. soup. ever. And yes, if you were wondering, those extra periods were extremely necessary. For emphasis, oooobviously.
I’m actually not much of a soup person. Soup as an appetizer, or side dish? Great. But soup as the main dish? Ehhhh…not really. I like the satisfaction of chewing my food, if it’s gonna be the main thing filling me up at that meal. But this fall when Simone of Zenbelly came out with Paleo Soups and Stews, holy wow that cookbook changed my mind real quick.
But first – if you’ve never had Thai Coconut Soup (or Tom Kha), it is my ultimate comfort food. It’s a coconut milk and broth-based soup (duh), usually with some kind of protein, whether that be chicken, shrimp, etc, and mushrooms. Which is funny, because I am NOT a fan of mushrooms. Except in this soup. But when all the components come together, its like you have no idea how the chef could have combined all those ingredients into one bite. Like I don’t really know what’s happening on my tastebuds right now, but I LOVE it. Whenever I have a long and exhausting day where most people would want takeout Chinese food or Pizza, this is what I want. This amazing soup! My mouth is watering just thinking about it.
Anyway, Simone’s book. Amazeballs. She made an entire cookbook out of 100 different soups and stews, people. How crazy is that? Plus some goodies that go with them, like a Paleo Baguette, Homemade Noodles, Gnocchi, Tortillas, Naan, Drop Biscuits, and the list goes on. What about the soups and stews themselves, you ask? Well, here are some of my favorites so far:
- West African Cashew Soup
- Moroccan Carrot Soup
- 30 Cloves of Garlic Soup (great for flu season!)
- Thai Pumpkin Soup
- Lobster Bisque
- Build your own Ramen
Well let me tell you, this cookbook deeefinitely changed my mind about soup, from the Tom Kha recipe alone. But you know me, it is nearly impossible for me to leave a recipe as its author originally wrote it. I even change up my own recipes from time to time. Add a little of this here, a little of that there, throw in some of my favorite Asian Sautéed Kale and a perfectly roasted salmon filet…and ehrmahgerd genius. I’m totally obsessed with this soup and whenever I make a pot (which has been about 5 times since I got the cookbook), I eat it for at least two meals a day for a week. Not kidding.
- For the soup
- 6 cups Chicken Broth
- 2 Tbsp lemongrass*
- 1 bunch cilantro, leaves cut off from stems
- 2 tsp chili garlic paste
- 2 Tbsp dried galangal (or substitute 2 tsp minced ginger)
- Zest of 1 small lime
- 2 cups sliced shiitake mushrooms
- 1 can full-fat coconut milk
- 1 can light coconut milk
- 3 Tbsp fish sauce
- 1 Tbsp sugar
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- For serving:
- Asian Sautéed Kale
- 4-6servings Salmon (use leftovers, or follow the directions below for perfect roasted salmon)
- lime slices, from zested lime above)
- Chopped cilantro leaves
- In a large soup pot, mix the broth, lemongrass, cilantro stems (not the leaves!), chili garlic paste, galangal or ginger, and lime zest. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium-high heat, cover the pot, and simmer on low for about 20 minutes.
- Combine the mushrooms, coconut milk, fish sauce, garlic powder and coconut sugar in a large measuring cup. Set aside while the pot is simmering.
- Meanwhile, make the Asian Sautéed Kale in a large skillet. The directions are here! Once cooked, set aside until ready to serve.
- After 20 minutes is up, strain the broth and throw out the lemongrass/stems mixture.
- Pour the broth back into the pot, and add the coconut milk mixture to the broth. Give it a stir and cook on medium-low for about 5 minutes, until the mushrooms are soft.
- If you don’t have leftover salmon, pull out 4 filets that are about 5 oz in size. Preheat the oven to broil and heat a cast iron skillet with 1 Tbsp oil. Once the pan is hot, add the salmon filets, skin-side down, and cook for 2-3 minutes (3 if you have a larger piece). Transfer to the oven and cook for an additional 4 minutes, until cooked through.
- Ladle the soup into bowls, then add in a scoop of the Asian Sautéed Kale, and top with a salmon filet! Feel free to add in some leftover Oven Roasted Cauliflower Rice, if you have it on hand!
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Adapted from Simone Miller’s Paleo Soups & Stews. For more amazeballs soup recipes, go check out her cookbook! Or one of her other amazing ones: The New Yiddish Kitchen and the Zenbelly Cookbook
