Coconut Curry Mushroom* Soup w/ Pumpkin Purée and Lime (GF, DF, V) (*Ingredient of the Year 2022 NYT)

This dish starts out as the traditional Thai soup Tom Kha Gai but takes a detour through India and Mexico before it’s ready to eat. The result is a soul-satisfying bowl of international spices and peppers, with pumpkin purée as the wild card that brings it all together. Cold nights call for hot soup and this dish could quickly become a family favorite.

[*The tasty and versatile mushroom has been named "Ingredient of the Year 2022" by the New York Times. This is primarily due to its environmentally friendly, carbon neutral properties, but also because its compostible fibers are being used in clothing, faux leather, utensils, and packaging materials.] 

My Paleo Marin Rating: 5 Persimmons**

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon butter 

1 tablespoon olive oil

8 oz. crimini mushrooms, sliced

(Note: for Non-Dairy and Vegan, use 2 tablespoons coconut or grapeseed oil)

1-2 tablespoons coconut or grapeseed oil

1 teaspoon whole cumin seeds

1 large onion, chopped

1-2 jalapeños, seeded or not, thinly sliced

1 bay leaf 

1 1/2 teaspoons garam masala

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon ground turmerie

1 knob ginger (about 1 inch), peeled and minced

2-4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

1 (13.5 oz.) can coconut milk (not low fat)

1 (13.5 oz.) can organic pumpkin purée

1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons fine sea salt, to taste

1/2 cup water

Optional: 4” stalk lemongrass, white part peeled, pounded to release flavor (see video here); remove stalk before serving soup.

Optional: Hearty green Chinese vegetables such as Chinese broccoli stems, chopped 

3/4 cup chopped cilantro

2 to 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice, plus lime wedges for serving

Directions:

1. Heat butter and olive oil in a dutch oven or large skillet. When the bubbles of the butter start to subside, add the sliced mushrooms. Stir to coat the mushrooms and cook until the they soften, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes. Remove mushrooms from pot and set aside.

2. Heat the coconut oil in the same pot. Add the cumin seeds and cook for about 1 minute. Add the onions, jalapeños and bay leaf; stir to coat with oil. Cook until the onions soften, stirring frequently, about 5-8 minutes. 

3. Stir in the ginger and garlic and cook over low heat for about 1-2 minutes. Add the garam masala, ground cumin and ground turmeric. Cook to release the flavors, stirring frequently, about 1 minute. Watch carefully as the mixture will be dry until Step 4. 

4. Stir in the mushrooms, coconut milk, pumpkin, salt and 1/2 cup water. Add lemongrass if using. Stir and bring to a simmer. Continue to simmer and stir the soup for about 10 minutes to let the flavors meld together. If using, add hearty greens about 3 minutes before the soup is done.

5. Add cilantro, lime juice, and more water if needed. Remove the lemongrass, if using. Taste for salt. Serve.

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Recipe adapted from New York Times recipe here.

**My Paleo Marin Rating between 1-5 Persimmons

I try out these recipes so you don't have to (and modify them for Paleo where possible). The rating will reflect my opinion of the final result in terms of taste, ease of preparation, nutrition, and sometimes, cost.