My delicious Mushroom Coconut Soup is one of those homemade soups that warms up your soul. But in my house, we eat this soup quite regularly regardless of the weather outside and enjoy it all year round.

Personally, I am a big fan of mushrooms and creating this recipe gave me the perfect opportunity to use them in an Indian dish. The earthy and nutty flavors of the mushrooms blend perfectly well with the spices. I like cremini mushrooms (brown baby portabella mushrooms) for this particular dish. They have a wonderful taste and texture. But if you are unable to find any cremini mushrooms, then white button mushrooms will work just as well. This is such an easy meal to make and once the basic prep work is done, it comes together in no time.

The best way to clean mushrooms is to gently brush or wipe the mushrooms with a damp towel. Mushrooms tend to absorb water like a sponge so it’s best not to wash or soak them in water.


MUSHROOM COCONUT SOUP

Ingredients:

8-10 ounces brown cremini mushrooms (or white button mushrooms), thinly sliced
2 large shallots, thinly sliced (or use ½ of a small onion)
½” piece of ginger, peeled & finely grated
3-4 fresh curry leaves
pinch of red chili flakes, to taste
pinch of turmeric
¼ tsp garam masala
¼ tsp ground cumin powder
½ tsp ground coriander powder
salt & pepper, to taste
2½ to 3 cups good quality vegetable stock (or you can use water)
1½ cups coconut milk
juice of ½ lime
¼ cup cilantro leaves, finely minced
2 tbsp oil (canola or vegetable)
finely chopped chives for garnish
pinch of smoked Spanish paprika for garnish

METHOD:

In a medium size soup pot on medium high heat, add the oil. When hot, add the shallots along with the ginger and curry leaves. Stir for about 30 seconds or so and then add the spices (red chili flakes, turmeric, garam masala, ground cumin powder, ground coriander powder, salt & pepper. After another minute or so, add the vegetable stock and bring the soup to a good boil. Then reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and add in the sliced mushrooms. Stir well and allow to simmer for just 3-5 minutes. Then add in the coconut milk along with the cilantro leaves and lime juice. Stir and let simmer for another couple of minutes, garnish with the finely chopped chives and smoked Spanish paprika, serve hot.


VARIATIONS:

Feel free to serve this soup over some cooked rice noodles, egg noodles or cellophane noodles for a hearty one pot meal. You can also add some chicken, seafood, tofu or your family’s favorite vegetables to the soup.