Thai Coconut Curry with Vegetables

Last weekend, NYC was a very unpleasant place to be. Due to Joaquin’s hurricane-y wrath, it was unseasonably cold, wet and grey. Rene and I originally planned to spend Saturday brunching and digging for treasures at Williamsburg thrift stores (I know, so cliche…), but once we stepped foot outside, we resolved not to leave again until the situation cleared up. On one hand it’s nice that our plans were cancelled, which gave us an excuse to bum around the house and watch Netflix (have you seen Wes Anderson’s Moonrise Kingdom? It’s adorable!).

When hunger struck around 5pm, I headed to the kitchen and made one of our favorites - Thai coconut curry. While it appears to be a complicated recipe with a long ingredient list, it is actually very doable; I often even make it on weeknights after work. This dish is typically served with white rice, but I prefer black quinoa for a boost of protein, fiber and micronutrients, as well as contrasting texture and color.

Thai Coconut Curry with Vegetables
Thai red curry paste can be found in the international foods aisle of the supermarket. Feel free to switch out these vegetables for whichever you have on hand - broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, mushrooms and/or zucchini would all be great.
(Yield: 4-6 servings)

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons organic coconut or canola oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced (about 1 tablespoon)
• 1″ piece ginger, peeled, minced (about 1 tablespoon)
• 2 medium carrots, peeled, thinly sliced on a diagonal
• 2 stalks celery, thinly sliced on a diagonal
• 1 medium yellow onion, sliced
• 1 green bell pepper, cut into large dice
• Sea salt, to taste
• About 2 cups vegetable stock (organic and low sodium, if possible)
• 2-4 tablespoons Thai red curry paste
• 1 13-ounce can full-fat coconut milk, shaken well and stirred to combine
• 1/2 head lacinato kale, stemmed, thinly sliced
• About 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• Chopped cilantro or Thai basil, to serve
• Cooked black quinoa, to serve (recipe below)*

Procedure:
1. Heat oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Add garlic and ginger. Cook for 1 minute, just until fragrant, being careful not to burn. Add carrots, celery, onion, pepper and a generous pinch of salt. Cook until vegetables are starting to soften, about 4 minutes, stirring frequently.
2. Add stock, cover with a lid, and bring to a boil. Remove lid, turn heat down to low, and simmer until vegetables are cooked but still retain their crunch, 3-4 minutes.
3. Ladle a bit of hot stock into a small bowl and add 2 tablespoons curry paste. Stir to dissolve and pour into soup. Taste and repeat this step until a desired heat level is reached.
4. Add coconut milk and cook until heated through, about 2 minutes. Stir in kale and cook just until wilted, about 1 minute.
5. Turn heat off. Stir in lime juice and soy sauce. Taste and season with more soy sauce or lime juice, if needed.
6. Serve soup garnished with cilantro or basil, alongside quinoa.

*To cook quinoa: In a small saucepan, bring 1 3/4 cups water and 1/4 teaspoon salt to a boil. Add 1 cup black quinoa, turn heat down to low, cover tightly with a lid, and simmer until all water is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Turn heat off and let stand covered to steam for another 10 minutes. Fluff quinoa with a fork before serving.

What is your favorite cold weather recipe?