I’ve been waiting for the perfect opportunity to cook with coconut oil. I love coconut and it seems to be the superfood ‘flavour of the month’. Proselytising many (women at least), it’s being hailed as a mega-electrolyte source, an age-defying elixir, and of course, an aid to weight loss.
Back to coconut oil … I had some carrots in the fridge and so decided to make pumpkin carrot soup. Hence the (coconut oil) opportunity. I would sauté the vegetables in coconut oil and then also add coconut milk, to produce a rich coconut flavour. I would also add ginger and, at the end, chilli flakes and lime. Sounding Thai? I hoped so!
To get the vegetables to liquids ratio right, I sought guidance from Jamie’s Pumpkin and Ginger soup recipe.
Here’s what my recipe ended up looking like:
Coconut, Pumpkin, and Carrot Soup
1T coconut oil
1kg pumpkin
250g carrots
large thumb of grated ginger
1L vegetable stock
200mL coconut milk
chilli flakes to taste
salt and pepper
half a lime
Method
- Cut pumpkin and carrots into chunks.
- Heat coconut oil in a large pot and sauté pumpkin and carrots.
- Add ginger, vegetable stock, coconut milk, and chilli flakes.
- Bring mixture to the boil and then simmer for 40 minutes until vegetables are tender enough to mash or process.
- Mash or process soup mixture, to develop a texture to your liking (smooth or chunky).
- Season with salt and pepper and add a squeeze of lime before serving.
