Bright Coconut Curry Soup

Anyone who knows me, knows that I love Kelis and consider her a muse. I’ve enjoyed making several dishes from her cookbook, My Life on a Plate, and decided to try my hand at the Green Curry Soup with Crab. Unfortunately, I didn’t get a chance to go to my other favorite spice shop, Bazaar Spices in DC, and didn’t have any decent curry or kaffir leaves on hand. I had to get creative with what I had and still managed to make a delicious soup. Wild caught shrimp, coconut milk, yellow curry and Thai basil came together for a creamy dish perfect for spring. I think of this as a great “breather” soup. When you’ve overindulged on crap and need something tasty, but light and full of vegetables. 

You’ll be happy to know, I’ve had a chance to return to Bazaar Spices and found vadouvan (French curry powder) and kaffir leaves. Once I re-order their Siam Thai seasoning, I’ll have the recipe for my Lime Shrimp Soup which goes great with sweet potato zoodles. I think soups get a bad rap but they are perfect for beginner cooks. You have a lot of wiggle room to cook to your tastes, if your knife skills aren’t the greatest no one really cares and you have the freedom to get creative. You can use stocks (made from bony parts), broths (made from meat) and coconut milk from the grocery store. Soups are very adaptable, and can be made vegetarian or vegan-cold or hot.