Look at all that gorgeous produce! That’s not even half of what I put into this yummy soup. I stuck my head in the fridge and just started grabbing things. I love to keep lots of fresh veggies available. Chances are they will be going into juice, salads, stir fries, you name it.

I was so excited when I found patty pan squash at a produce market this weekend. Yeah, I know it pretty much tastes just like yellow squash, but it’s so cute. And it was the inspiration for this recipe.

I sauteed onions, garlic, carrots, patty pan and zucchini squash, mushrooms, spinach and fresh ginger in coconut oil. I steamed some sweet potato and added that to the mixture. Then I poured veggie broth and coconut water over the whole thing and seasoned it with a Thai seasoning blend from Penzeys. To serve, I topped the soup with fresh cilantro, basil and lime juice.

Such a tasty dinner! By using coconut water instead of coconut milk, the soup was much, much lighter. We had a little leftover, which I ladled into a large mason jar. Pretty sure this will be tomorrow’s lunch.

Thai Vegetable Soup

Serves 4

1/2 Tbsp coconut oil

1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cut into large dice

1 medium sweet onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 carrots, peeled and chopped

2 patty pan or yellow squash, cut into large dice

2 small zucchini, large dice

1/2 cup mushrooms, chopped

1 cup fresh spinach, rinsed and chopped

1 tsp fresh ginger, grated

1 tsp Thai seasoning, such as Bangkok by Penzeys

2 cups veggie broth

1 cup coconut water

Sea salt and pepper, to taste

fresh cilantro

fresh basil (Thai basil if you can find it)

lime wedges

Heat large soup pot over medium heat and add coconut oil. Saute onions and garlic until soft, about 10 minutes. Steam sweet potato in a separate pot if you wish or simply add it to the onions along with the carrots, 2 squashes, mushrooms and ginger. Cook until vegetables begin to soften.

Add Thai seasoning, veggie broth and coconut water. Cook for about 20 minutes, until all vegetables are cooked through. Add spinach and heat until wilted. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Ladle soup into shallow bowls and top with cilantro, basil and a squeeze of fresh lime juice.