Tomato-coconut soup

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons of fat, preferably a tablespoon of butter and mild olive oil, but any fat will do
• 1 large carrot (about 200 g)
• 1 large onion (about 100 g)
• a large clove of garlic
• a pinch of rock salt (I use Kłodawska)
• a piece of fresh ginger, about 2 cm (if the soup is for children, it is worth using less or even omitting the ginger altogether)
• 1-2 bay leaves
• about 900 ml of homemade tomato puree or ready-made passata (900 ml, because I often use jars like these for tomato puree), you can use a little less or a little more
• a can of coconut milk, i.e. 400 ml
• optional - a handful of green beans, fresh, frozen or from a jar (can)
• spices to taste: a pinch of sugar, ground pepper, sweet and hot paprika, turmeric, salt, optionally a little soy sauce
• optional - a spoonful of potato starch (or rice, corn) to thicken if necessary
• a handful of Thai basil, cilantro or parsley
• separately cooked rice to serve (I use basmati rice)

First, prepare the zażarka. Take a pan and sauté chopped onion in fat until white, just enough to soften. Finally, add the chopped garlic and let it simmer for a bit. Now add the grated carrot and salt to the pan, stir, and then simmer, covered, for a few minutes. Note: Instead of this entire process, you can use ready-made zażarka from a jar.

If you want to use raw green beans, add them to a pot with a little water, then cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes. If you use jarred or canned beans, you can skip the cooking step, making it much faster.

Add bay leaves, finely chopped ginger, and carrot stock to the pot with the beans.

Also add tomato puree, mix and then bring to a boil.

Season to taste with a pinch of sugar, sweet and hot paprika, turmeric, ground pepper, and salt. Cook for a few minutes to combine the flavors.

Add the coconut milk. At this point, you can blend the soup until smooth and creamy, provided it's not using beans. I'm not a fan of creamy soups, so I don't blend. If you think your tomato-coconut soup should be thicker and don't want to blend it, thicken it with a tablespoon of cornstarch mixed with half a cup of cold water and bring to a boil.

Finally, add chopped greens, I used frozen cilantro.

Serve the soup in bowls with separately cooked rice. Sprinkle with any greens of your choice. Tomato-coconut soup is delicious, aromatic, and warming, making it perfect for autumn and winter lunches and dinners. Enjoy!