Thai Coconut Lemongrass Soup

Today I’ve spent the whole day in my kitchen and experimented with new recipes. I was so excited about the new blueberry raw food cake that I was making and I totally forgot about lunch. When I was finished with my cake I was starving and I threw in some ingredients that I had at home in a pan and let them simmer for about twenty minutes. To my surprise it turned out really, really good. I used two of my favorite spices…lemongrass and lime leaves. I just love how they taste and combined the give the perfect flavor.

In this recipe I added coconut cream to get a thick, creamy soup and mung beans that I had soaked the night before. Mung beans are a great source of protein and they are full of nutrition, but if you don’t have them at home you can use red lentils. Red lentils are great if you don’t have lots of time since you don’t have to soak them. Just throw them in the soup and let them simmer until they are soft and tender (about twenty minutes).

This is a great recipe to make a double batch of. Make lunch boxes and keep them in your freezer so you’ll always have something nutritious and nice when your hungry. Serve the thai coconut lemongrass soup with a slice of bread and mashed avocado with tomatoes and flake salt.

Facts About Mung Beans

1. Prevents heart ailments
   The study which was published on the Journal of Human and Experimental Toxicology shows that Mung beans have the ability to reduce bad cholesterol levels. It assists to regulate the level of cholesterol as its antioxidants eliminates free radicals, repairs the damage of blood vessels and reduce inflammation.
2. Reduce blood pressure
   The nutrition found in Mung beans has the ability to counteract cardiovascular diseases and high blood pressure.
3. Prevents cancer
   Mung beans possess high amount of polyphenols and oligosaccharides that assist to eliminate the development of cancer. The clinical studies show that it possesses anti-tumor properties which prevent DNA damage and mutation of dangerous cells.
4. Rich in protein
   Mung bean seeds possess the nutrients such as isoleucine, leucine and valine which make it an effective choice for vegetarians. According to the Department of Chemistry at the Harbin Institute of Technology, the Mung beans possess 20 to 24 percentages of amino acids.
5. Reduce PMS
   Mung beans are loaded with Vitamin B6, Vitamin B and folate which helps to control the fluctuations of hormone that leads to PMS symptoms. These assist to reduce the severity and pain related to the PMS cramps, mood swings, headaches, muscle pains and fatigue.

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Recipe, 2 servings
0,5 cup finely chopped leek
1 stalk lemongrass, bashed
1 cup crushed tomatoes
1,5 cups cauliflower
3/4 cup unsweetened coconut cream
1/4 cup dried mung beans
0,5 cup water
1 tablespoon mango chutney
2 dried lime leaves
2 tablespoons vegetable stock
1 tablespoon yellow curry
0,5-1 teaspoon salt

Directions

1. Soak the mung beans in water 8- 24 hours. Many say that whole mung beans do not need to be soaked prior to cooking. Which is true. However, I find that they are even easier to digest, and faster to cook, if soaked the night before.
2. Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Add the finely chopped leek and curry.
3. Cook on low temperature for 2 – 3 minutes until the aromas are released.
4. Add the the rest of the ingredients and simmer for 20 minutes or until the mung beans are soft. Remove the lemongrass and lime leaves. Discard.
5. Add more water if the soup is to thick or eat it as it is with rice or quinoa.