This is by far my favorite soup. It was created on a cold Harlem day. I was visiting my bestie and we wanted soup. I got a few ingredients like canned coconut milk and Jamaican soup packets and started throwing in some veggies and beans and a star was born. That was about seven years ago. Every visit to Mishoo means I have to make soup and curry chicken now :-). However, this soup has matured. The picture featured was made in London last year and I have now graduated to mixing my own very low sodium (pink himalayan sea salt) soup spices and a star was born. Try my Ayurvedic Soup spice.
What Soup means to me...
Saturday was soup day in Jamaica. Our parents made beef soup. Chicken Foot soup, red peas soup or plain whole chicken soup. Manish Water (goat head soup) was made on special Saturdays or occasions (feasts). Our soup was heavy with dumplings, yellow yam, cho cho (choyote), turnip and other carby veggies. I used to pick those out and drink mostly the water and the meat.
Ayurvedic Soup Spice
Now I make low sodium soup with veggies such as butternut squash or sweet potatoes. I always add a leafy veggie such as Bok Choy, spinach or kale and sometimes cabbage. Sometimes I add red lentils or white beans. Sometimes I add a small piece of chicken breast or I use seafood such as scallops, squid or shrimp. Whatever your meat or seafood choice, my favorite is a small piece of chicken with bok choy, butternut squash, trio peppers, onions, scallion and throw in a full packet of Ayurvedic Soup Spice if I am using my "big pot" (24 U.S. quart). If I am going vegetarian, I add lentils and remove chicken. I usually add a can of coconut milk (reduced fat or regular). This adds a creamier taste. However, make no mistake, the soup spice needs no coconut milk.
Sometimes Mishoo and I dip Jamaican festival or roti or a piece of toast in the soup. Or you can serve with grill cheese sandwich. This soup is also perfect by its lonesome. Yum!
If you cannot tell already - I ABSOLUTELY LOVE SOUP - and no, not just on rainy or wintery days. It could be scorching hot outside, if I feel for soup - I'm having it!
