Coconut Corn Soup

The other day I posted my watermelon & togaroshi recipe and I talked about clinging on to summer here in QLD and how summer is coming elsewhere in the world.  Well, now at the request of my wife (who is always cold) I am back making soup!  This coconut corn soup has been a family fav for a number of years.  With the evening temperature dropping to a (not exactly cold) 16-20c I am asked to get back into making more heart warming dishes. Doesn't make sense to me BUT when have I ever understood women??  Compromise comes in the form of using brighter ingredients like corn.  Then, with the addition of crab it makes it feel almost summery.

Recently I have been getting some amazing fish from our local fish shop (fresh fish co) and truthfully we don't eat enough fish at home.  So when soup was requested I used it as a chance to add some fish into the diet.  The addition of crab and things like charred corn, coriander & pickled onions help to take this soup from being "just soup" to something you would expect to see in a restaurant!

Brisbane Weather

So, as I mentioned before it's starting to get cooler here in Brisbane.  When I say cooler we are still hitting 25c during the day and beautiful sunshine so I'd hardly class it as cold.  To me it's perfect weather right now.  The hilarious thing (and maybe this will be me in a few years) is that I see people all in jackets and scarves etc.  WTF.  I think the whole of last year I wore pants about half a dozen times.  FYI I am a stay at home dad so I don't have a uniform to wear!  Well, unless you consider wearing some form of kids dirt and carrying a nappy bag a uniform! We are so fortunate to live in a beautiful part of the world with amazing beaches, cracking weather and more importantly a playground on every corner for princess.

Soup

Used to be one of my fav things to make.  When we lived in Ireland (which is cold ALL THE TIME) and in NYC (when winters are INSANE) I used to make soup weekly.  So now that it's "colder" here in Brissie expect to see a few more coming up on the blog.  Coconut corn soup is probably my go to soup but soon you will see things as the wife gets colder and colder! Recipes like slow roasted tomato soup - slow roasting the tomatoes brings out TONS of flavour.  Pea, ham, mint & choc - sounds weird but boy does it work.  Or maybe broccoli, blue cheese and nutmeg creme fraiche to name but a few.

The basis of pretty much all my soup recipes is the same,  So if you can remember this much you are on the right path,  Chopped onion, olive oil, butter, garlic, some veg and stock.  After that it's about experimenting with flavours and toppings.  I am all about the toppings for soup.  Firstly, for visual appeal but also to add a different dimension or texture to what ultimately is a bowl of liquid!  Trust me when I say it can take a plain soup to a whole new level!

Benefits of Soup

This may sound weird and usually I write about the benefits (where I can) of eating a type of veg or meat but here let's take a look at soup as a whole

• filling - soup fills you up without loading up on lunchtime bread
• simple to make - a basic soup is quick and simple to make and will last the whole lunch week
• cost effective - soup can be made from any veg (pretty much) so when carrots are only $1 a kg it's a no brainer really
• healthy - this is typically true if you stay clear of adding loads of cream or coconut milk.  But hey sometimes life is for living
• contains loads of vitamins & nutrients.  Well, we make it from veg don't we? And veg as we know it is good for you!

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Happy Cooking and Happy Eating Friends!