Spicy Tom

By August 13, 2015 Recipes No Comments
SpicyTom-NEW

So, today is SOUP DAY at our house. I always try to find ways to make my family eat more plantbased foods, especially veggies. Although, I can safely say that my kids are very good in eating veggies ( phew…it’s hard work, i tell you, but you gotta start them young, right?) , I must admit, that always having a daily dose of salad or quick sauté vegetable on the table, can be quite boring 😀 😀

This soup is the perfect dish to make your family eat more veggies without them knowing it!! Why? BECAUSE this soup is made from Veggie Stock.  Yes, VEGGIE STOCK is made from Vegetables. All nutrients in the liquid, WITHOUT them knowing anything! SSSssshhhhh….. THIS. IS . SO. GOOD!!  Here is how to make VEGGIE STOCK, in my last blogpost!   https://sophienavita.squarespace.com/config#/pages/54e4e108e4b0b40cb7632c12|/blog/2015/4/13/veggie-stock

My version is an OIL FREE version, however if you want to sauté the aromatics (ginger, garlic, galangal etc you will see in recipe) with oil , I suggest COCONUT OIL. This all star oil ( to me, at least)  can withstand high heat, making it suitable for frying food ( although I do not suggest frying ). COCONUT OIL is also considered a superfood, due to it’s antimicrobial properties, also high in antioxidants, also because it is a medium chained fatty acid, means, the way it enters our blood system is different from how meat enters our system ( animal protein can clog up your system, if you’re not careful) . I always say coconut oil, is the GOOD FAT that can actually help you lose weight! it keeps you full for longer periods. Plus, by using coconut oil, you will be helping orangutans live longer. In Indonesia, we have been using to much palm oil (other alias: vegetable oil. indonesian: minyak sawit) . The more we support these oils, the more demand there will be and more palm plantations will be opened, meaning more burning of forests, cutting down trees etc to actually make a plain for the plantation, creating havoc. AIr pollution, danger of floods,  and more and more animals will be forced out of their natural habitat (especially orang utans) and slowly die :(  I am not trying to make anyone uneasy by bringing up all these facts, I am just trying to live more harmoniously with nature. Sustainable eating. Responsible living. After all, we do not own this planet, we are borrowing it from our children. Right? :)) Okay now on to the recipe!

For soup:

2   T chopped garlic

1   T chopped ginger

1/2T chopped galangal

1 red bell pepper chopped roughly

2 stalks lemon grass, bruised

1    T paprika powder

1    T coconut butter ( divide into half portions)

1 bunch cilantro

1 handul basil or thai basil for garnish

5 sage leaves

4 cups veggie stock

1 t seasalt

1/2 T maple syrup ( or 1,5 t coconut sugar. Use stevia powder if you have blood sugar issues)

1/2 T fresh lime juice

1 t homemade chilli sauce (sriracha) or chopped chilli (or sambal oelek in a jar. bisa juga buat sambal sendiri ya)

Accompaniments:

*Baked oyster mushrooms

*Steamed bokchoy, steamed beansprouts

Baked mushrooms:

2 cups oyster mushrooms (jamur tiram), marinade for 10 minutes in 1 T lemon juice, pinch of salt, 1/2 tsp tamari and cracked black pepper. Bake until outsides become brown. Not too dry though. around 10 -15 minutes in 200celcius, each oven may vary, so to be safe, put a timer on and hire somebody to watch the shrooms ( hahaha…)

METHOD:

Heat a pot, while waiting, put the chopped red bell pepper + 1/2 T coconut butter  in a blender with a cup of veggie stock , blend and set aside.

When the pot is hot, put in chopped garlic and stir it around, making sure it does not burn. When the ginger releases it’s  fragrance, put in the other 1/2 T of coconut butter and stir it around. The goal is to get the coconut butter to brown just a bit and mix it with the ginger. Watch closely, do not burn the coconut butter. Turn down the heat if you must.  ( Coconut butter is a spread made from the meat of the coconut much in the same way peanuts are used to make peanut butter. Or Almond Butter. It can be enjoyed with your favorite fruit, combined into smoothies, blended into coffee, if you are a coffee drinker etc. You can make your own coconut butter by blending dehydrated coconut meat into a Vitamix or high powered blender, or if you do not have time, you can always buy them. My favorite brand that I can get here in Indonesia would be Artisana. I usually get them from www.thehonestgrocer.com . If you do not have coconut butter, you can always blend 1/2 cup coconut meat with 1 cup water and strain, or use canned coconut milk, then add it in the soup when you have turned off the heat. ( kalau tidak ada coconut butter, pakai santan biasa saja 1/2 cup dan dimasukkan pada saat masakan sudah jadi, saat api sudah dimatikan)

 

After the ginger and coconut butter have incorporated into one, put in the chopped garlic,  and tear the sage leaves and put in too. Stir for a bit, to let garlic release fragrance, then pour in a bit( around 3T) of the BLENDED BROTH, let this mixture sweat a bit, keep stirring. The goal is to build all these flavor from scratch, so be patient:) Yes, your heat is still on medium low.

After the liquid has reduced, now put in the bruised lemongrass stalks ( sereh yang digeprek), galangal, onion powder, paprika powder, pretty much everything else on the list  (except sweetener)and stir, let it release fragrance, while adding the BLENDED BROTH bit by bit until finished, while adding in your choice of sweetener.

Now, spoon the soup into bowls, and add the accompaniments. You can always add Vermicelli / Rice Noodles ( bihun), or even Shirataki. This should serve 4-5 soup bowls, or 3 very big soup bowls.

Voila…. enjoy this hot!

Please tag me on my instagram if you make this! It’s really good on a rainy day. I am at @sophienavita

Any comments or suggestions, please feel free to write below:))

Catatan: T (huruf besar adalah Tablespoon), t (huruf kecil) adalah teaspoon. Bukan sendok biasa ya, jadi belilah sendok takar di toko-toko alat memasak. Selamat Mencoba!

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