It was gloomy and chilly afternoon. With the threatening beginnings of scratchy throat and cough, I passed our local Thai restaurant and had an instant hankering for soup – the steamy, citrusy, creamy coconut soup of Thailand. Whether it was the soothing warmth, the lime's vitamin C or the sweet and sour flavors that were calling me, I didn't pull over. While it would have been convenient, I knew a home-cooked version would likely provide better quality ingredients and health benefits using olive oil, organic veggies, hormone-free poultry, adding healing herbs and spices, and controlling the salt. I did a quick mental inventory of my pantry and fridge as I headed home. Bag of limes, coconut milk...check, onions and celery – key starters to almost all soup...check, no chicken but hormone-free ground turkey, brown rice noodles, vegetable stock and several veggies...check. I have a ritual of making chicken soup whenever my family gets sick. This time it was a testament to my own self-care.
The results of my California-Thai chicken soup (gluten- and dairy-free) soothed my ragged throat and chest and satisfied my husband. Thai flavors are lip-smackingly good, and this soup borrows its essence from that culinary heritage for a satisfying starter or a meal unto itself.
Stocking up on organic broths, coconut milk, herbs and spices, and your favorite ingredients, as well as freezing meats and buying fresh, organic produce several times a week helps enable last-minute creativity in the kitchen. Feel free to substitute the veggies in this recipe with those that are seasonal and readily available to you.
I'd love to hear from you in the comments below. What health or cooking issue is important to you? What would you most like to read about next month?
The results of my California-Thai chicken soup (gluten- and dairy-free) soothed my ragged throat and chest and satisfied my husband. Thai flavors are lip-smackingly good, and this soup borrows its essence from that culinary heritage for a satisfying starter or a meal unto itself.
Stocking up on organic broths, coconut milk, herbs and spices, and your favorite ingredients, as well as freezing meats and buying fresh, organic produce several times a week helps enable last-minute creativity in the kitchen. Feel free to substitute the veggies in this recipe with those that are seasonal and readily available to you.
I'd love to hear from you in the comments below. What health or cooking issue is important to you? What would you most like to read about next month?
Tweak of the Week
Coconut-Lime Turkey Meatball Soup
GF, DF
Serves 4
Ingredients
For the meatballs:
1 lb ground dark meat turkey or chicken
1 T dried onion flakes
1 t dried thyme
1 t dried oregano
1 t curry powder
3 T ground flax meal
1 t salt
1/2 t pepper
For the soup:
2 T olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
1/4 c white wine, optional
1 16 oz box organic vegetable broth
3 patty pan squash, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 parsnip, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 can organic coconut milk
juice of 2 limes
1/2 t salt
1 c baby spinach leaves
1 large leaf swiss chard, chopped including stem
1/2 package brown rice pasta, cooked according to directions
1 avocado, peeled, seeded and cubed into 1/2" pieces
1 T cilantro, chopped
Directions
Into a bowl add all meatball ingredients and mix until fully combined. Form into 1 inch round balls. In a 4.5-quart soup pot (or larger) heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are translucent and beginning to brown. Add meatballs nestling them between the veggies so they touch the bottom of pot. Cook meat, turning balls with spoon until seared on all sides. Add wine to pot. Stir and cook for a few minutes. Add vegetable broth, squash and parsnip to pot and stir. Cover pot with lid, bring to boil, and reduce heat to simmer for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, in separate pot, bring water to a boil to cook brown rice pasta. Drain pasta. After 20 minutes of simmering, add to the soup the coconut milk, lime juice and salt. Stir well to combine and continue cooking for 10 minutes until heated through. When finished, turn off heat. Add spinach and swiss chard and stir well. Add brown rice noodles to soup and stir to combine. To serve, ladle into bowls. Top with avocado and cilantro.
Nutritious Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Recipes | © 2016 Nan Foster Health, all rights reserved.
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I received my training from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, where I learned about more than one hundred dietary theories and studied a variety of practical lifestyle coaching methods. Drawing on this knowledge, I will help you create a completely personalized “roadmap to health” that suits your unique body, lifestyle, preferences, and goals.
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