Cabin Fever and Thai Coconut Soup

Not long after Hurricane Sandy trashed the landscape, not far into winter, I decided to take on the chef in our kitchen who consistently produces the most intensely flavored, exotic, delightful Thai dinners. His answer to a recipe request for his coconut soup is to say he never makes it the same way twice; nor is he exactly keeping secrets, because the taste does vary as much as the ingredients.

I wanted a coconut soup that was light, fresh and delicious. So I Googled "thai coconut soup," compared the recipes, picked one, adjusted to serve 40 people, and tried it out. No kidding, it tasted very much like the coconut soup at my favorite takeout Thai place! Unlike every other recipe I have given you here, the broth is an exact science: I make it the same way every time. It is very simple. The yellow lined paper on which I computed the original proportions has become an icon. This soup is wildly popular, and people ask for the recipe all the time. Here it is.

THAI COCONUT SOUP FOR 40

broth:
8 quarts of vegetable broth
4 15-oz. cans unsweetened coconut milk
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
1/2 cup tamari
1 heaping tablespoon turibinado sugar
7 basil leaves, chiffonaded
one bunch cilantro, stems included, chopped

vegetables:
5 to 7 bell peppers of any color, cut into long strips that are then chopped in thirds
2 lb. small white mushrooms, thinly sliced
3 to 5 roasted sweet potatoes, chopped

Bring the broth to a boil, add the coconut soup and reheat, but do not boil. Add the vegetables, bring to a boil, and turn off the heat. Add the rest of the ingredients. Serve.

Okay, you're not cooking for forty, are you. I will give you my adjusted version of the scaled-down recipe, serves 6. But first, a few comments on finishing the soup.

I have used Frontier powdered vegetable broth, because the ashram kitchen stocks it. I can't unequivocally endorse it, because the first ingredient is corn syrup solids. But the powder is a workhorse for the kitchen, and it works for this recipe: 2 cups of broth powder for 8 quarts of water. I bring the broth to a boil and let it sit on the stove for a while. Before proceeding, I usually add as much as a quart of water, depending on how long the broth has been simmering and how much water has boiled off.

This is a fresh soup, a midwinter antidote to Northeast cabin fever from an exotic Pacific locale. You don't want to cook the vegetables overlong; you don't want to boil the lime juice, the tamari or the fresh herbs at all.

A note on the vegetables: The addition of peppers and mushrooms comes from the Thai restaurant's version. Theirs always had red peppers. I have always used green peppers, because that's what we had on hand. To compensate for the reduction in sweetness, I added some leftover roast yams (also on hand). That worked so well I go out of my way to roast yams for the soup. I have also tried green peas, which are fine. Add them at the last minute, even if frozen; they will turn gray if boiled for long. One quarter of a cabbage, finely shredded, can substitute for the peppers.

How to roast a sweet potato: wash it, rub it lightly with oil, put it on a baking sheet in a preheated oven at 375 degrees. After half an hour, it should be done (soft). Check by sticking a knife or fork into it.

THAI COCONUT SOUP

serves 6

broth:
6 cups vegetable stock
1 15-oz. can unsweetened coconut milk
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari
1/2 to 1 teaspoon turibinado sugar
1 or 2 basil leaves, chopped
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

vegetables:
1/2 to 1 bell pepper, cut into short strips
1 cup small white mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 small sweet potato, roasted and chopped

Bring stock to a boil, add coconut milk and bring almost to a boil. Add vegetables and simmer one to three minutes. Add all other ingredients just before serving. Note: This soup is richer than the high-quantity version; you can reduce the amount of coconut milk to taste. And see the comments above on suggestions for other vegetables.

After the Holidays: Winter Squash Soup

It's the slow season. Except dozens of people are still showing up for lunch at the ashram, some from yoga class, some still in residence after the holidays. What to feed them? The kitchen stores are depleted, yet there's a backlog of winter squash and just enough else to make a hearty winter soup. This soup is a variation on an ashram favorite that I usually make with red lentils instead of squash.

TO COOK FOR A CROWD

We have a 60-cup pot with nice curves -- we call it the sexy pot -- that feeds 35 to 40 people, full. I drag it out and fill it two-thirds full with butternut squash (peeled, deseeded, cut in chunks) and enough cold water to cover. While that's coming to a boil on the stove, I add my spices: a big thumb of ginger (flurried), half a tablespoon of cumin, a pinch of allspice, a pinch of cayenne and a bay leaf. While the squash cooks, I slice two of the enormous carrots we have in the cold room; that's equivalent to about four or five carrots of normal size. I saute the slices in coconut oil.

When the squash is soft, I puree the soup with an immersion blender. I add the sauteed carrots and some leftover cooked kale, chopped into small pieces. Since we don't have cilantro, I add a bunch of curly parsley, chopped fine (stems included). I throw in some salt -- probably a tablespoon -- and there you go. It's surprisingly sweet, this soup; the coconut oil and the allspice are subtle brighteners.

WINTER SQUASH SOUP

serves 6
1 butternut squash, peeled, deseeded and cut into 2-inch chunks
water
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 2-inch piece of ginger, grated
1/8 teaspoon allspice
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
1 bay leaf
two carrots, sliced thinly
one small bunch of kale, chopped fine
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
salt and pepper

Put the squash in a 4-quart pot and add enough water just to cover. Bring to a boil. Add cumin, ginger, allspice, cayenne and bay leaf.  Simmer till very soft. Remove bay leaf and puree soup. Return to stove and keep warm on a low flame.
Saute carrots in coconut oil till slightly browned, about five minutes. Add to soup.
Steam kale until tender, five to fifteen minutes depending on the kale. Add to soup.
Add parsley.
Add 1/2 teaspoon of salt, or more to taste. Add pepper to taste.