bigelow street bites

turmeric and ginger coconut soup with lentils

During my maternity leave, I found that I was hungry for snacks all day long. By the time I got to dinnertime, I needed to eat something light and healthy to balance out all the chips and other snack food I had consumed! This soup broth is very flavorful but not overly heavy or creamy. The green lentils provide a punch of healthy protein and fall apart into the golden broth. You can feel good eating multiple servings of this over a few days. It pairs well with a crisp beer or a bright white wine. 

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• Fresh turmeric (2 pieces, peeled and grated)

• Fresh ginger (1 2-inch piece, peeled and grated)

• Fresh garlic cloves (4 cloves, minced)

• Scallions (1 bunch, sliced with white and green parts separated)

• Olive oil (3 tablespoons)

• Chicken broth (6 cups)

• Coconut milk (1 can)

• Green lentils (1 cup, dried and rinsed)

• Bok choy (2 medium bulbs, leaves washed and separated)

• Mung bean sprouts (2 cups)

• Lime juice (2 tablespoons)

• Salt (1 and 1/2 teaspoons)

• Sriracha sauce, for flavor

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1. In a large Dutch oven over medium heat, combine the grated turmeric, ginger, minced garlic cloves, white scallion pieces, and the olive oil. Using a wooden spoon, stir until the ingredients are a golden color and very fragrant.

2. Deglaze the pot by adding the chicken broth and coconut milk. Bring the broth up to a low boil, and then reduce the heat to a simmer and cover. Let the broth cook for approximately 20 minutes to become highly flavorful.

3. Turn the heat off and strain the broth into another temporary pot through a fine mesh sieve such as a chinois. Return the strained broth to the Dutch oven on the stove.

4. Add the green lentils to the broth and bring the heat up to medium. Cook for approximately 20 minutes, or until the lentils are soft and cooked through.

5. Once the lentils have finished cooking, reduce heat to low and add the bok choy, bean sprouts and lime juice. The vegetables will cook fairly quickly, within 5 minutes, so keep an eye on the soup to avoid the greens getting mushy and discolored before serving.

6. Taste the broth to assess need for salt. Add up to 1 and 1/2 teaspoons of salt, depending on your preference. Serve with Sriracha hot sauce and the green scallion slices for garnish.