Tom Yum Curry Monggo Soup

May 8, 2011 at 7:43 pm · Filed under Low-Carb, Recipes ·Tagged food, low carb, monggo, soup

Monggo soup is a staple dish in Filipino homes. It is usually cooked with either dried shrimp or pork bits and topped with pork rind (chicharon).  You also accompany this dish with bitter gourd (ampalaya), sweet potato (kamote) or morniga (malunggay) leaves and is also usually paired with chicken or pork adobo.

When I was in Dumaguete, I learned a new way of making monggo soup. In Nikki’s kitchen, monggo is cooked with lemongrass, coconut milk and little slices of squash. A wonderful new take on a simple dish that easily became a crowd favorite.

The tom yum powder gave the monggo soup a nice hot and sour kick!

I didn’t have all the ingredients in the refrigerator but I had enough to work with. No squash but I had one carrot. No lemongrass, just tom yum and curry powder. No moringa, bitter gourd or sweet potato leaves but basil leaves instead. And so, the experiment began.

Use available root crops like carrots or potatoes to make a rich soup base.

As I waited for my monggo to soften and cook, I sat in the kitchen and listened to the torrential downpour that suddenly hit Manila. It was a little frightening but I couldn’t help but be thankful for the relief from the insufferable heat. I was also thankful for a quiet an uneventful Sunday.

Tom Yum Curry Mongo Soup

1 carrot, roughly chopped

1 tbsp. tom yum powder

1 tbsp. curry powder

1 1/2 cup uncooked monggo

1 tomato, sliced

1 onion, sliced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup coconut milk

3 cups broth

basil leaves, chiffonade 

 

In a stainless pan, sweat the onions and tomatoes in some oil until soft. Add the garlic and the uncooked monggo and pour the broth. Add the tom yum powder, curry and coconut milk. Simmer on low heat for approximately 20 minutes or until monggo is soft.

 

In a separate pot, boil the carrots until soft. After boiling, puree carrots in a food processor and add to the pot with monggo. The carrot puree will add a rich texture to your soup.

 

Add basil leaves and season soup with salt and pepper. Serve hot. You may also add more curry or tom yum powder according to taste. 

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