Thai Coconut Tongue of Fire Soup

The tongue of fire in the title refers to a variety of heirloom beans with that name, which have a meaty mouthfeel and an undertone of spice in them. They are firm like kidney beans, which you can use in their place if you can’t find the exotic ones.

SOY-FREE, GLUTEN-FREE, OIL-FREE

TOTAL PREP TIME: 20 minutes

TOTAL COOKING TIME: 30 minutes

YIELD: 4 servings

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 cups (475 ml) water
• 1 can (14 ounces, or 410 ml) light coconut milk
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon (15 g) lemongrass paste or 3 pieces lemongrass, smashed with the flat side of a knife (or substitute 1 teaspoon other lemony herbs such as verbena or lemon balm, or 1 teaspoon lemon zest)
• 1 teaspoon galangal root paste or grated ginger
• 1 teaspoon kaffir lime leaves (optional)
• Two 1-inch-long (2.5 cm) slices ginger
• 12 fresh shiitake mushrooms, sliced or minced
• 1 1/2 cups (266 g) cooked Tongue of Fire or kidney beans or 1 can (15 ounces, or 425 g), rinsed and drained
• 1 cup (164 g) corn kernels
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and diced
• Zest of 1/2 lime
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 tablespoons (2 g) minced cilantro, plus more for serving
• Lime wedges, for serving

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. In a large saucepan or small stockpot, combine the water, coconut milk, minced garlic, lemongrass paste or smashed lemongrass, galangal root paste or grated ginger, kaffir lime leaves (if using), ginger slices, mushrooms, beans, corn, and salt.
2. Cook uncovered over medium heat for 15 minutes to allow the flavors to infuse into the broth.
3. Add the diced red bell pepper, lime zest, and cayenne pepper to the pot.
4. Continue cooking until the vegetables are tender but still firm, approximately 15 more minutes.
5. Stir in the minced cilantro and taste the soup. Adjust the seasonings if needed.
6. Serve the soup with lime wedges and additional minced cilantro for garnish.

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION:

PER 1 1/2-CUP (355 ML) SERVING

• 187.8 calories; 5.0 g total fat; 3.8 g saturated fat; 6.7 g protein; 28.2 g carbohydrate; 6.9 g dietary fiber; 0 mg cholesterol.

FANCY BEAN SUBSTITUTES: 

• Scarlet Runner Beans, Sangre de Toro