Quick Coconut Soup

Tonight, I am boldly going where I have never gone before... vegan shrimp. I saw them in the freezer section from a company called Vegetarian Plus (which also makes 'spare-rib cutlets' and other non-meat meat products), but had to work up the nerve to try them! When I saw the recipe for this delicious-sounding soup, I decided to take the plunge. If you can't find them at your grocery store, you can order them online at: www.cosmosveganshoppe.com

The other seafood-item in this dish for which I had to substitute was fish sauce. I like using miso tamari, which has a bit more of that salty tang than even regular soy sauce, and approximates the saltiness of the anchovies in real fish sauce.

In a saucepan, combine 2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger, 1 teaspoon miso tamari (or soy sauce) in place of fish sauce, 1/2 tsp. minced garlic, 1/2 tsp. grated lime rind, 1/4 tsp. chile paste with garlic, 3 ounces vegan shrimp (unthawed), and 14 ounces of vegetable broth.

Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes.

Remove from heat and stir in 3/4 cup light coconut milk, 1 tablespoon chopped green onions, 1 and 1/2 teaspoons chopped cilantro, and 1 teaspoon fresh-squeezed lime juice.

Place 1/3 cup cooked basmati rice in the bottom of a bowl. Ladle the soup over the rice. This soup is a perfect serving for 1 person, of about 2 and 1/2 cups and 340 calories.

What was the verdict on the shrimp? To be honest, I couldn't quite put my finger on what they tasted like. Not like real shrimp, certainly (at least, I don't think, although it's been 15 years since I last tasted shrimp...), but with a little bit of "fishy-ness" to them that I appreciated. It was just enough to make the taste novel, but not so much so that I got a case of "this can't be vegan" panic. Indeed, more so than the taste was the absolutely enjoyment of cooking with these little "shrimp", so I intend to incorporate them into my diet on occasion in the future!

Here's one close-up!


Cost:
ginger $0.68
miso tamari $8.49
lime $0.50
vegan shrimp $6.59
light coconut milk $2.39
green onions $0.99