thai inspired coconut quinoa soup

We are in the home stretch of winter and just received another round of snow, hopefully this will be the last major storm of the season; however here in the New England it is very possible to see a freak snow storm in the middle of May. Bright soups and stews help get us through these last few months of cold- the brighter the better. One of the best ways to add color to your winter plate is by way of bright red/purple cabbage, orange carrots and dried chilies, luckily I am able to source these directly from our winter farmers market.

So in between exploring the ice castles in Lincoln, weekend snow shoe hikes and scrabble nights you will find me with a bowl of this warming soup anxiously awaiting spring.

Thai Inspired Coconut Quinoa Soup

Serves 5-6 people

You will need:

For the seasoning paste:

1” piece of ginger peeled & finely grated

1 tsp Turmeric

2 tsp Curry Powder

1 tsp Kosher Salt

Dried Chili Pepper to taste (optional)

1 tbsp Olive Oil

For the Soup:

7oz Extra Firm Tofu cut into small cubes

½ tsp olive oil

2 medium Carrots, scrubbed and cut into half circles

1 ½ cups shredded Red Cabbage

2 cans light coconut Milk (13.5oz) + 1 can of Water

½ cup red or white Quinoa, rinsed well

4 cups Baby Spinach

Fresh Lime Juice from 1 lime

Garnish with fresh Sweet Basil

Assembly:

To make the seasoning paste:

In a small bowl combine all ingredients and mash/stir well with the back of a spoon until well combined.

In a Medium Soup Pot heat ½ tsp oil over medium heat– add tofu and seasoning paste stir/cook until spices are fragrant and tofu begins to slightly brown; about 3 minutes. Add Carrots and cook an additional 2 minutes.

Add to the soup pot Coconut Milk, water, red cabbage & quinoa- increase heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10-12 minutes. Add baby spinach & fresh lime juice to the pot, turn off the heat and allow the spinach to wilt on its own until vibrant in color.

Ladle into bowls and top with freshly torn basil.

Like most soups, this one gets better each day. Soup can be refrigerated up to 1 week. Simply reheat on the stove top or in the microwave.

 Enjoy!

Featured on rd's 21 day tummy challenge