Coconut Curry Vegetable Soup

I made this soup twice in the past week, and Elina raved about it both times, so I figure it’s worth sharing.

Consider the recipe a suggested starting point; don’t be shy to make substitutions, omit something, or add something. I pretty much just threw together whatever we had in our fridge, you can do the same!

Ingredients:

• 1–2 onions or leeks
• a few stalks of celery or a celery root (celeriac)
• a rutabaga or turnip
• half a cauliflower
• 1 zucchini (optional)
• 15 oz cooked chickpeas (garbanzo beans) (optional)
• 1 bunch greens such as kale, chard, spinach, etc
• 15 oz coconut milk (not light!)
• 2–3 tsp curry powder
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• oil for sautéing (I use Trader Joe’s non-virgin olive oil)

Directions:

1. in a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat
2. if you want the soup ready fast, start the vegetable broth heating in a separate pan
3. chop all the vegetables (except the greens and chickpeas) and add them as you chop them, stirring as you add each one
4. add the chickpeas, if using
5. sauté the vegetables, stirring regularly, until they’re ⅔ or ¾ cooked
6. add the coconut milk and vegetable broth, and stir
7. add the curry powder, and salt and pepper to taste, and stir
8. cook for 5–20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are almost, but not quite, at desired softness
9. chop and add the greens, stir
10. if the greens are spinach or chard, turn the flame off and let them wilt for 3 minutes; if using tougher greens such as kale, keep the flame on and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5–10 minutes

Enjoy!