Spicy Vegetable Soup

This thin soup has sweet, sour and spicy flavours. The coconut milk tones down the chilli! This recipe is from Indonesia. It’s borrowed from “The World of Spice” and is posted for Zaar World Tour 2005.

• Ready In: 50 mins
• Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 300  ml boiling water
• 4  tablespoons  desiccated coconut
• 1  tablespoon  sunflower oil
• 1  onion, thinly sliced
• 1  garlic clove, crushed
• 1  inch  piece gingerroot, peeled and grated
• 2  green chilies, finely chopped
• 1  teaspoon turmeric
• 1 1⁄4 liters  vegetable stock
• 2  teaspoons brown sugar
• 2  carrots, thinly sliced
• 2  stalks celery, thinly sliced
• 1  leek, thinly sliced
• 2  ounces green beans, chopped
•  salt (or soy sauce)
• 1  lemon, juice of

Directions

1. Pour the boiling water over the desiccated coconut; leave to steep for 15 minutes to make coconut milk; strain to remove any fibers.
2. Heat the sunflower oil in a pan and add the onion, cook for 2-3 minutes until soft then stir in the garlic, ginger, chillies and turmeric; heat through to make a sticky paste, stirring to prevent burning.
3. Add the stock and coconut milk and heat through, then add the sugar, carrots, celery, leek and green beans; simmer gently for 30 minutes.
4. Add salt and soy sauce to taste; stir in lemon juice just before serving.