Featured
Recipe
Spicy Lemongrass, Coconut, and Tomato
Soup
SERVES 4 TO 6
The Soup
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 ounces (100 g) lemongrass (see below), coarsely chopped
2/3 cup onions, coarsely chopped
2/3 cup green onions, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh ginger
1 tablespoon coarsely chopped garlic
1 fresh red or green chile, seeded and coarsely chopped
5 cups vegetable or chicken broth
1 pound (450 g) tomatoes, peeled and seeded if fresh or drained
if canned, chopped
1 tablespoon sugar
1½ teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground five-pepper mixture (see below)
or black pepper
3 tablespoons canned coconut milk
2 tablespoons light cream
The Garnish
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh cilantro
Heat a large, heavy pan until it is hot and add the olive oil.
When the oil is hot, add the lemongrass, onions, green onions,
ginger, garlic and chile. Stir-fry the mixture for 5 minutes
or until the onions are cooked through. Now add the stock, tomatoes,
sugar, salt and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil, turn the
heat down and simmer for 20 minutes.
Remove from the heat and, when it s cool enough, puree the soup
in a blender. Strain the soup through a fine sieve.
When you are ready to serve the soup, reheat it and add the coconut
milk and cream. Finally, garnish it with chives and cilantro.
Lemongrass has a subtle,
lemony fragrance and flavor and is considered a medicinal agent
as well as a spice. It is sold in long stalks and looks similar
to a green onion in shape. It is usually found in Chinese grocers
or other Asian grocers and in some supermarkets.
Five-pepper Mixture or five-peppercorn mixture is a fragrant
aromatic mixture of whole black, white, pink and green peppercorns,
and allspice berries. Available in supermarkets, this mix, freshly
ground, gives food a wonderful tasty touch. It is popular with
fusion cooks and chefs because it bestows an added dimension to
recipes.
Wine Recommendations by Wine.Com:
1999 Sokol Blosser White Riesling, Oregon
LINK: http://www.wine.com/sku/wine_sku.jsp?
sku=0033579&link_from=greatfood_adv_recipe
1999 Cape Indaba Chenin Blanc, Western Cape, South Africa
LINK: http://www.wine.com/sku/wine_sku.jsp?
sku=0030984&link_from=greatfood_adv_recipe
Cookbook available in August 2000.
Call 1-800-308-4286 for more information.
