Foundation Diet and Health
The best perspective for your health
The best perspective for your health
The best perspective for your health
The best perspective for your health
This page was translated through Google Translator

Vegan forest curry-spicy Asian soup with lemongrass

This oil-free spicy Asian soup with lemongrass is a vegan version of the Asian forest curry.

vegan

20min70min
medium
91% 79/12/09 
Ω-6 (LA, 0.4g) : Ω-3 (ALA, 0.2g) = 2:1


Ingredients (for servings, )

Equipment

  • coffee grinder, electric or mortar
  • stove
  • saucepan
  • oven

Type of preparation

  • cook
  • bake
  • chop or grind
  • blend
  • squeeze
  • season to taste
  • remove the skin
  • peel

Preparation

  1. Preheat the oven to 200 °C and line 2 baking trays with baking paper for 4 portions.

  2. For the curry paste
    Peel the garlic. Peel the ginger and grate finely. Peel the shallots and roughly chop 1/3 of them. Set the rest aside for step 5. Cut the top green ends (about the top third) off the lemongrass. Cut the lighter sections into fine rings. Wash the coriander and shake dry. Pick off some of the leaves and set aside as a topping. Roughly chop the rest (including the stems). Grind the cumin in a mortar or coffee grinder.

    You can use the green ends of the lemongrass for other dishes in which you simply cook the lemongrass and then remove it later.

  3. Put everything together with the chili, cayenne pepper and 200 ml of water (for 4 portions) in a measuring cup and puree into a paste using a hand blender.

    If you prefer it a little milder, use less cayenne pepper (you can add this at the end if necessary) or deseed the chili or leave it out altogether.

  4. Put the paste in a large pot or non-stick pan and simmer for about 5 minutes. Stir occasionally to prevent the paste from burning. Most of the water should have evaporated by the end.
    Then deglaze with stock and water and let the soup simmer for about 10 minutes.

    If you want a roasted flavor, you can let the paste set slightly. This changes the taste, but also adds unhealthy byproducts, such as an increased proportion of Maillard molecules, to the dish.

    We have deliberately used vegetable stock that is low in salt. When buying stock, be aware that even salt is often added.

    At the same time, you can proceed to the next step.

  5. For the vegetable filling
    Peel the swede and cut into 0.5 cm thick slices. Cut these into quarters or sixths. Peel the shallots, halve them lengthways and fan them out slightly. Spread the swede and shallots on a baking tray. Add a little salt if desired. The shallots need about 10-15 minutes and the swede 20-25 minutes at 200 °C in a preheated oven.

    We used a smaller turnip for the amount of 800 g for 4 people.

    At this point you can optionally brush the vegetables with a little refined rapeseed oil.

  6. When they are ready, remove them and set aside and keep warm until the rest is ready.

    Variation: You can vary the vegetables individually. However, shallots should remain as an ingredient. Optionally, you can add green beans, broccoli, or thinly sliced carrots. Cherry tomatoes are a nice addition.

  7. Finish the soup
    Season the soup with salt, cayenne pepper and generous amounts of lime juice.

  8. Add the baked shallots and swede pieces to the soup and reheat if necessary. Serve in soup bowls and garnish with fresh coriander.

    Optionally add rice noodles as a garnish.

Nutritional Information per person Convert per 100g
2000 kcal
Energy214 kcal10.7%
Fat/Lipids4.8 g6.9%
Saturated Fats2.4 g11.9%
Carbohydrates (inc.dietary fiber)42 g15.7%
Sugars15 g16.7%
Fiber9.5 g38.2%
Protein/Albumin6.5 g12.9%
Cooking Salt (Na:120.5 mg)306 mg12.8%
A serving is 671g.Recommended daily allowance according to the GDA.
Fat/Lipids
Carbohydrates
Protein/Albumin
Cooking Salt

Essential micronutrients with the highest proportions per person 2000 kcal
MinCopper, Cu 74 mg7'376.0%
VitVitamin C (ascorbic acid) 77 mg96.0%
MinManganese, Mn 1.8 mg88.0%
VitVitamin K 55 µg73.0%
ElemPotassium, K 1'218 mg61.0%
VitFolate, as the active form of folic acid (née vitamin B9 and 97 µg49.0%
VitVitamin B6 (pyridoxine) 0.62 mg44.0%
MinIron, Fe 5.7 mg40.0%
ElemPhosphorus, P 228 mg33.0%
VitVitamin A, as RAE 258 µg32.0%

Detailed Nutritional Information per Person for this Recipe

The majority of the nutritional information comes from the USDA (US Department of Agriculture). This means that the information for natural products is often incomplete or only given within broader categories, whereas in most cases products made from these have more complete information displayed.

If we take flaxseed, for example, the important essential amino acid ALA (omega-3) is only included in an overarching category whereas for flaxseed oil ALA is listed specifically. In time, we will be able to change this, but it will require a lot of work. An “i” appears behind ingredients that have been adjusted and an explanation appears when you hover over this symbol.

For Erb Muesli, the original calculations resulted in 48 % of the daily requirement of ALA — but with the correction, we see that the muesli actually covers >100 % of the necessary recommendation for the omega-3 fatty acid ALA. Our goal is to eventually be able to compare the nutritional value of our recipes with those that are used in conventional western lifestyles.

Essential fatty acids per person 2000 kcal
Alpha-Linolenic acid; ALA; 18:3 omega-3 0.17 g9.0%
Linoleic acid; LA; 18:2 omega-6 0.43 g4.0%

Essential amino acids per person 2000 kcal
Tryptophan (Trp, W) 0.04 g14.0%
Threonine (Thr, T) 0.11 g12.0%
Isoleucine (Ile, I) 0.13 g10.0%
Lysine (Lys, K) 0.17 g9.0%
Valine (Val, V) 0.14 g9.0%
Leucine (Leu, L) 0.18 g7.0%
Phenylalanine (Phe, F) 0.10 g7.0%
Methionine (Met, M) 0.04 g4.0%


Essential macroelements (macronutrients) per person 2000 kcal
Potassium, K 1'218 mg61.0%
Phosphorus, P 228 mg33.0%
Calcium, Ca 199 mg25.0%
Magnesium, Mg 92 mg25.0%
Sodium, Na 121 mg15.0%

Essential trace elements (micronutrients) per person 2000 kcal
Copper, Cu 74 mg7'376.0%
Manganese, Mn 1.8 mg88.0%
Iron, Fe 5.7 mg40.0%
Zinc, Zn 1.6 mg16.0%
Selenium, Se 3.5 µg6.0%
Fluorine, F 110 µg3.0%
Iod, I (Jod, J) 4.7 µg3.0%
Author
Inke Weissenborn, picture from the year 2017
Inke Weissenborn, Germany
Dr. med. vet.; Recipe Author
Notes about recipe

This oil-free spicy Asian soup with lemongrass is a vegan version of the Asian forest curry.

Quantity: The quantity indicated for 4 portions is sufficient for a main course for 4 or a starter for 6 people. The quantity makes approximately 300 ml of soup base per person.

Nutrient profile: According to GDA guidelines, one portion of this dish contains around 80% manganese, vitamin C and 50% vitamin K and potassium. However, some of the heat-sensitive ingredients are lost during the cooking process, which slightly reduces the amount per portion. The ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids is 2:1, which is well below the recommended ratio of 5:1.
You can find further information on this topic at the following link: Vegans often eat unhealthily. Avoidable nutritional errors .

Swede: In Germany, traditionally only the yellow-fleshed root tubers, which weigh up to 1.5 kg, are used in cooking, while the white-fleshed ones are used as fodder turnips. In addition to carbohydrates, swedes also contain large amounts of vitamin C, beta carotene and calcium. However, the tuber consists mainly of water, is therefore almost fat-free and is considered a low-calorie vegetable.

Lemongrass: From Lemongrass is mainly used from the fresh, juicy lower parts of the stalks and the base of the leaves. Lemongrass is usually processed fresh, as it loses its aroma when dried. The essential oils contained in lemongrass, especially citral, give lemongrass its typical lemony smell and taste. This scent develops best when it is crushed or finely chopped.

Lime juice: The raw juice of limes has a high vitamin C content. Compared to lemon juice, lime juice has a more pronounced aroma.

Ginger: Ginger has an aromatic smell and a characteristic burning, sharp and spicy taste, which it owes mainly to gingerol. Ginger is said to have various healing effects, such as antibacterial, antiviral and antiemetic (against nausea) effects. Ginger also promotes blood circulation and increases bile production.

Despite the similar name, cumin is not closely related to caraway and also differs greatly in taste. Ground cumin has a fresh and slightly spicy aroma, which it owes to the cuminaldehyde contained in the essential oil.

Tips

Reduce salt and oil: For health reasons, we have deliberately reduced salt by using extra low-salt vegetable broth. We have left out oil altogether. You can find more information on this topic in the book we describe in detail: "Salt Sugar Fat" by Michael Moss.

Coriander: Opinions vary widely regarding the taste of coriander. Some people react to its intense, slightly soapy aroma with aversion or even nausea. According to statistics in Switzerland, 15% of all allergy sufferers are sensitive to coriander. There is no alternative with a similar taste. Flat-leaf parsley, which looks similar, has a completely different taste. In this dish, the majority of the coriander is in the curry and does not stand out as usual due to the cooking. Just try it.

Lemongrass: Fresh lemongrass will keep in the fridge for a few days. It can be frozen for up to 6 months.

Make your own broth / stock: If you want to make your own vegetable broth or stock, you will find suitable recipes below:
- Instant vegetable broth with carrots, celery and leek
- Vegan vegetable stock with celery, leek, fennel
- Organic mushroom vegetable broth with carrots and celery

Alternate preparation

Variation: You can vary the vegetables individually depending on the season and availability. However, you should keep the shallot. Beans, carrots, broccoli and cherry tomatoes are also good. To make it more filling, you can add glass noodles (rice noodles). You can also add a plant-based milk, such as oat or coconut milk. You can find a recipe with coconut milk and additional vegetables here.

Spiciness: This dish is traditionally spicy. If you prefer it milder, remove the seeds from the chili or leave it out completely and adjust the amount of cayenne pepper.