While going through my refrigerator today, I realized that I had a ton of baby carrots. When I bought them, I had every intention of eating them as a snack, instead of my normal ration of almonds and dark chocolate chips. It seems that I’m a creature of habit and the carrots have taken up space in my refrigerator for more than a week. The almonds and chocolate chips, however, have miraculously disappeared.
I started thinking about cravings and what we tend to put in our mouths. In my case, if it has a layer of salt or is dipped in chocolate, I’m on it like a cat on a mouse. As much as I try to eat healthful foods, I have been known to indulge in not so healthful snacks. I can honestly say that I’m all about the taste bud orgasm but I also realize that if that’s all a food can give me, I should probably break up with it. As with my dating life, sometimes I just don’t have the will power to let go and move on. For now, I’ve decided to settle for a balance between truly healthful and tasty and truly tasty but not so healthful. 
In my search for balance, I’ve come across a lot of information. I don’t begin to claim that I’m an expert on any of it. If you need a partner that will help you win at trivia…I’m your girl, otherwise I feel it’s best to admit that there’s a lot that I don’t know. Some of the information that I’ve picked up along the way includes herbal remedies, Chinese medicine and Aryuvedic practices and all of it completely fascinates me. However, the other thing I can admit is that discipline is not a strength of mine either, so my best bet is to balance between the really healthy and the bad but tasty. With that in mind, I decided to create a truly healthful dish, with a side of deep fried yummy, which in this case is an amazing ginger, coconut, carrot soup with coconut shrimp on the side. The soup is delicious on it’s own but I have to admit that the shrimp did give me that TBO that I was looking for.
PrintAmazing Coconut Carrot Ginger Soup
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 4-8 servings 1x
Description
This vibrant carrot coconut soup is infused with ginger and orange liqueur, served with decadent coconut encrusted shrimp for a perfect balance of healthful and indulgent flavors.
Ingredients
- 30 ml olive oil (2 Tbs)
- 1 medium sweet onion chopped
- 2 cloves of garlic chopped
- 30 ml orange liqueur (2 Tbs)
- 450 g baby carrots (1 pound)
- 113 g chopped tomatoes (1/2 cup)
- 375 ml chicken broth (1 2/2 cups)
- 250 ml coconut milk (1 cup)
- 15 ml lemon zest (1 Tbs)
- 60 ml soy sauce (4 Tbs)
- 4 leaves of fresh Thai basil minced
- Juice of 1/4 lemon
- 2 ml red pepper flakes (1/2 tsp)
- 4 leaves of fresh mint minced (optional)
For Shrimp
- 16-24 large shrimp
- 118 ml coffee liqueur (1/2 cup)
- 118 ml flour (1/2 cup) plus 79 ml (1/3 cup) for dredging
- 15 ml lemon zest (1 Tbs)
- 1 egg
- 5 ml baking powder (1 tsp)
- 450 ml flaked coconut (2cups)
- 750 ml olive oil for frying (3 cups)
Instructions
- In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic, onions, and ginger, and sauté for about 2 minutes until fragrant.
- Add the orange liqueur and carrots to the skillet. Sauté for another 8-10 minutes until the carrots are tender.
- Stir in the chopped tomatoes and cook for 2 more minutes.
- Add the chicken broth and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Pour in the coconut milk, and blend the soup using an immersion blender until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- For the shrimp, dip each shrimp in the beaten egg, then coat with shredded coconut.
- In a separate pan, heat vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Fry the coconut-coated shrimp for about 2-3 minutes on each side until golden brown and cooked through.
- Serve the soup hot, garnished with coconut encrusted shrimp on the side.
Notes
The soup can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat gently before serving. For a vegetarian version, substitute chicken broth with vegetable broth. The shrimp are best served immediately after frying for maximum crispiness.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Cuisine: Fusion
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl with 3 shrimp
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 10
- Sodium: 600
- Fat: 22
- Carbohydrates: 28
- Fiber: 5
- Protein: 12
- Cholesterol: 85
