Tangy, Soothing Lemongrass Vegetable Soup

Light, bright, and tangy, this fragrant, veggie-packed soup awakens the senses and soothes the soul.

Whether you’re looking for throat comfort, a belly warmer, or a zesty throw-it-all-in soup that cleans out the fridge, this is for you! I’m not sure I’ve had it taste quite the same twice, and I mean that in a good way. Sometimes we want to kick up the heat, other occasions make it mellow. Sometimes it gets served over noodles, other evenings with rice. And then there are those days when neither are called for; maybe we even go just a bit lean on the veggies and enjoy the citrus-ginger broth more like a consommé.

I made this just the other day, and during prep it hit me for once (finally) how similar the ingredients are to my favorite Tom Yum soup. Yet the end results are so different, a nod to just how versatile they each are. When it comes to this soup, you don’t even necessarily need lemongrass. Yep, I mean it! In fact, I almost put the word lemongrass in quotes here, because the truth is, I find it hard to come by. Because of that fact, I wrote up the recipe for one stalk over two and went e a little bigger on lemon and lime. If you’re able to get your hands on lemongrass, rejoice in it! Add a stalk, even! If you can’t, just leave it out and consider the recipe still “whole”. I realize that makes this read as inauthentic from a certain standpoint, but you’ll notice I’m not attempting to include “Thai” in the name. It’s merely “Inspired-by”.

Lemongrass soup was our New Year’s dinner this year. I had made our lucky Black-Eyed Pea Soup, and it was ready to go, cozily bubbling in the Instant Pot, when we decided to ditch it for the next day. Not to say we don’t appreciate the dish (we do). Also, we heartily welcome any auspiciousness from food to horoscopes, but they don’t have to be dictated by the calendar. The reason was, like so many households around us over the holidays, we got hit with some pretty icky crud, and we needed soup.

My husband had it the worst; he was miserably congested, and it proved to be a lingerer. Our son got a moderate case of what may or may not have been the same thing. His lasted a much shorter and less intense duration but was accompanied by hives. As for me, I lucked out, never succumbing to more than a touch of sniffles (touch wood), but being me I obligingly offered companionship by allowing myself a whole bunch of psychosomatic semi-symptoms, which was so much fun while being the one to keep the house in order and care for everyone. For that reason, this particular soup wasn’t the one we enjoyed on New Year’s Day. No, that one came from a delightful Thai place around the corner—and oh, did it settle just right! So much so that I made this soup here just a week later, longing for that comfort again, only with more vegetables and without mushrooms since our son just picks them out.

There’s a lot of heaviness to process these days. The older I get, the more hollow the phrase “it’ll be ok” can feel. Today a friend broke down in tears as she told me the news that her best friend’s son had just taken his own life. I wish I had better words of comfort. I wish soup were the answer. It’s not, but it means something. These days I seem to express sympathies and solidarity with fewer words and more soup. Soup nourishes in so many ways. If you’re low on energy reserves or low on morale, soup soothes! Soup doesn’t try to pretend everything will be ok, but it does say, I’m here for you. I stand with you, hoping it will all be ok.

Lemongrass Vegetable Soup

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Yield: 4-6

Author: Wendy McMillan

Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 20 MinTotal time: 30 Min

Light, bright, and tangy soothing, this fragrant, veggie-packed soup awakens the senses and soothes the soul.

Ingredients

• 1 lemongrass stalk
• ½ Cup onion, finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 Thai chili peppers, finely minced (or red pepper flakes
• Zest and juice of 1 small lemon
• Zest and juice of 1 small lime
• ½ inch ginger root, finely minced
• 2 celery stalks
• 1 bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1 medium carrot, thinly sliced
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 2 cups water
• 2 Tablespoons low-sodium tamari
• 1 Tablespoon miso
• 2 Tablespoons coconut sugar
• 8-ounces tofu, drained, pressed, and cubed
• 2 medium tomatoes, diced
• 2 cups bok choy (or baby bok coy), stemmed and roughly chopped
• Sea salt and black pepper to taste
• Cilantro, sliced green onions, and lime for garnish, cooked rice to serve

Instructions

1. Use the back of a knife to press the lemongrass, flattening it a bit. Cut into large pieces (for easy removal).
2. Heat a stock pot with a layer of water on medium-high heat. Add the lmongrass pieces, onion, garlic, chili peppers, lemon and lime juices and zest, and ginger and cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring often. As the onion begins to become translucent, add the celery bell pepper, and carrot; cook 5 minutes, until the vegetables start to soften.
3. Add the borth and water and bring to a low boil. Reduce to a gentle simmer and stir in the tamari, miso, and coconut sugar. Cook for a few minutes, then add the tofu, tomatoes, and bok choy. Gently simmer, uncovered, on medium low for apprximately 20 minutes. Add salt and pepper and adjust seasonings to taste.
4. Serve over cooked rice or noodles and/or garnished as desired with sliced green onions, lime wedges, and cilantro.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

140

Fat

3 g

Sat. Fat

0 g

Carbs

22 g

Fiber

3 g

Net carbs

19 g

Sugar

12 g

Protein

9 g

Sodium

1712 mg

Cholesterol

0 mg