For Christmas, my sister sent me a fabulous vegetarian cookbook! It’s a treasure filled with vegetarian and vegan comfort food from Germany! Thank you, Schwesterherz! I think of you often when I’m chopping and cooking away in my kitchen!

The first recipe I made from the “Seelenfutter vegetarisch” book, was a very simple and tasty coconut potato soup. Once the soup had finished simmering, I made a sizzling topping with sliced shiitake mushrooms and minced Italian parsley. Then I sprinkled some toasted coconut over the top. The combination is incredible!! This soup sounds deceptively simple. One bite though, and the creamy soup, crisp mushrooms and crunchy coconut will make your tastebuds sings!!
I had a hard time not licking the bowl …

Here is what to do …

• 4 medium size russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 2 large leeks, washed and sliced into half moons
• 4 cups of vegetable broth (or water and a bouillon cube)
• 1 can of regular coconut milk (14 oz)
• 2 stalks of lemon grass, washed, trimmed and lightly smashed
• a 1 to 1 1/2 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated
• 1 cup of fresh shiitakes, de-stemmed and sliced
• 1/2 cup of finely minced Italian parsley
• freshly ground pepper and salt
• a little olive oil
• 1/4 cup of dried, shredded coconut

Put the leeks, potatoes, lemon grass, ginger, coconut milk and broth into a soup pot.
Bring to a gentle boil.
Turn down the heat to medium-low and simmer for about 40 minutes.
In the meantime, heat a heavy skillet (cast-iron works well) over high heat.
Add a tablespoon of olive oil and then the sliced shiitake mushrooms.
Stir and let them get nice and brown.
Add the chopped parsley and let it sizzle a few more minutes.
Turn off the flame and set the garnish aside.
In another skillet or the oven, toast the coconut until fragrant and a little browned.
Keep a close eye on it, since it burns quickly!
Next, fish out the lemon grass and purée the soup with an immersion or a regular blender.
Grind a little fresh pepper into the soup and taste if it needs any salt.
Divide the soup between bowls.
Add some of the sizzled shiitakes and garnish with a generous sprinkle of coconut.
Add a nice big salad and you’ll have a healthy and tasty dinner!
Enjoy!

Guten Appetit!