Spicy Spinach and Coconut Milk Soup
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This is my favorite quick, easy and super flavorful soup. It also lends itself well to experimentation. Want it super spicy? Try adding a habanero pepper to the stock and topping the soup off with a dollop sour cream to cool down the heat. Don’t like spicy foods? Leave out the peppers completely. Try experimenting with different spices and see what moves you. Next time I want to try this soup with lemongrass. Mmm… lemongrass.
You’ll need pepper, coriander, cumin, chicken stock, fresh baby spinach, lemon, serrano chilis, heavy cream, coconut milk, ginger, and garlic.
Crush the spices in a mortar and pestle. If you don’t have one of these, just throw the spices in a Ziplock bag and smash a couple times with a heavy pan.
Saute the ginger, garlic and chilis in melted butter over medium heat for about 30 seconds. Add in the onions and saute until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.
Add in the crushed spices.
Saute until fragrant. Don’t it smell delicious?
Add in the coconut milk and chicken stock and let simmer on low for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes, add in the fresh spinach and cook for 5-6 minutes, uncovered.
Add in heavy cream, being careful not to let the soup come to a boil again once the cream has been added.
Blend soup with a stick blender. If you’re using a food processor or blender, let the soup cool for a few minutes before you process in batches.
Ta-da! I like mine a slightly chunky… I like the texture, so I don’t blend for too long. Blend until your heart’s content.
And that’s it! Squeeze a little lemon juice and sprinkle a few chili flakes on top.
Sometimes I like to add a little leftover chicken to make the meal a bit heartier.
Spicy Spinach and Coconut Milk Soup
adapted from sinfully spicy
makes 2 large/4 small servings
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
2 serrano chillies, minced
2 garlic cloves, grated
1″ chunk of ginger, grated
1 1/2 tsp cumin seeds, crushed
1/2 tsp coriander seeds, crushed
1/4 tsp black peppercorns, crushed
2 bay leaves
2 cups chicken stock
1 cup coconut milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
12 oz fresh baby spinach
lemon wedges
salt and pepper to taste
Directions
Crush cumin seeds, coriander seeds and black peppercorns in a mortar and pestle. If you don’t have a mortar and pestle, place the spices in a ziplock bag and crush with a heavy pan.
In a heavy bottomed pot, melt the butter on medium heat. Add the grated garlic, ginger and seranno chillies. Let cook for 30-40 seconds, until fragrant.
Add the chopped onions and saute until soft and translucent, about 3 -5 minutes.
Add the crushed cumin, coriander and peppercorns and saute for another 30 seconds. Reduce the heat to minimum and add the chicken stock, bay leaves and coconut milk. Let simmer on very low heat for 30 minutes.
Remove the bay leaves from the stock. Add the baby spinach and bring to a boil, uncovered. Cook for 6-8 minutes till the spinach is cooked.
Reduce the heat to low and add the in the heavy cream and salt to taste. Simmer for two minutes, being careful not to let the soup come back to a boil after the cream is added.
Remove from heat and blend soup with an immersion / stick blender until desired consistency. If using a food processor or blender to puree, let soup cool down and process in batches. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.
Serve warm with lemon wedges and and garnish with chili flakes.
Notes
Add leftover chicken for a heartier meal.
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