Surprising Ayurvedic Recipe from Vegan Chef Jill Boadway
Filed Under Natural Cooking |
In my last blog I talked about a wonnnnderful class I recently enjoyed at radha yoga & eatery. Founding chef Jill Boadway gave us a few recipes to take home and experiment with by adapting them for our particular doshas.
This recipe is a fresh take on what we usually think of when we see the word “salad.” Jill’s “soup/salad” turns raw vegetables into suitable fare for Vata, a dosha that is already airy, dry, and cool, and usually prefers more grounding foods because raw salads can be unbalancing. Pitta and Kapha could adjust the spices and/or vegetables in this soup if desired. (I am not an expert on Ayurveda and I don’t want to lead you astray. For more information on doshas and suitable food choices, please refer to a good book about Ayurveda or search online.)
Thai Style Coconut “Soup/Salad”
Serves 4 to 61 Tbsp extra-virgin coconut oil
1 large onion, diced
1 large carrot, sliced in crescents
1 cup yams, diced
1 stalk lemongrass, minced
1 Tbsp minced or grated ginger
2 tsp ground cumin
1 Tbsp ground coriander
1/8 tsp turmeric
minced fresh jalapeño pepper or Thai chilies, to taste
5 cups vegetable stock or water
1 can coconut milk (400 ml)
6 kaffir lime leaves (or add extra lime zest and juice to taste, at end)
1 tsp sea salt
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 celery stalks, thinly sliced on a bias
1 cup green beans, thinly sliced
1 cup shelled green peas or snap peas
1 red pepper, diced or thinly sliced
1–2 cups thinly sliced bok choy
½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 Tbsp lime juice
sprouts of your choice for ganishHeat the oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Add onion and carrot and cook until softened, stirring occasionally, 6–7 minutes. Add lemongrass and ginger, and cook 2 minutes more.
Add spices and chilies. Cook another minute, stirring. Add yams, stock or water, lime leaves, coconut milk, salt, and pepper, to taste. Bring to a boil and then simmer for about 10 minutes, or until yams are soft.
Add fresh herbs and lime juice. Taste and adjust seasoning. To thicken soup (if desired), remove 2–3 cups, purée in a blender, and add back to the soup. Add remaining vegetables and let soften briefly (or cook longer if needed for digestion). Serve garnished with sprouts.
