Recipe - Spaghetti squash, vegetables and tofu soup

Recipe - Spaghetti squash, vegetables and tofu soup

Summary:

Vegetable soup with tofu is among one of my kids favorite lunch items. I get them to eat their veggies without fuss. It helps them eat warm lunches during cold winters. The roasted Spaghetti squash has little sweetness with coconut milk and zing from ginger. Soup serves as dinner with freshly tossed salad and bread in the side.

Ingredients:

• Spaghetti squash - 1 cup (cooked/baked)
  
• Vegetables of your choice - zucchini, beans, carrot, broccoli, capsicum (green pepper) - minimum half a cup of each vegetable
• Tofu - 1 cup (cut in small cubes)
• Coconut milk - 2 cups (thick)
• Ginger - 2 teaspoons (minced)
  
• Garlic - 1 teaspoon (minced)
• Green onions/shallots - 1 tablespoon
• Coriander powder - 1 teaspoon
• Roasted cumin powder - 1 teaspoon
• Turmeric - 1/4 teaspoon
• Lemon juice - 1 tablespoon
• Black pepper - 1/4 teaspoon
• Salt - 1 teaspoon

Process:

Cut spaghetti quash into two equal parts from the center. Apply/spray olive oil on spaghetti quash, bake it at 400 degree in the oven for 30 - 40 minutes or until flesh is tender. Remove from the oven, let it cool. Fork out the pulp/squash into a bowl which seems like spaghetti and discard the shells.

Preheat oil in a thick bottom skillet or open dish, add ginger, garlic, carrots and green beans. Saute them for 3 - 4 minutes.

Add rest of the vegetables, tofu, coriander powder, roasted cumin powder, salt and turmeric. Mix well, cook or fry the vegetables for 5 minutes

Add spaghetti squash, coconut milk and alphabet pasta to the vegetables. Add 1 - 2 cups of water to bring it to the desired consistency.

Add black pepper, lemon juice and 2 - 3 cups of water to your desired consistency. Cook it on simmer for 5 - 10 minutes to let the juices blend with tofu. Garnish with shallots and serve hot.

Preparation time : 20 - 30 minutes (apart form baking/cooking spaghetti squash)

Servings - 4

Tips:

If alphabet pasta is not available, add regular shell pasta (boiled/cooked) to the soup.

Cooking sphaghetti squash:

Boil water that is enough for a whole squash to immerse/dip. Cook/boil the squash for 20-30 minutes till the squash is tender (when pierced with a fork or a knief into the shell, the squash flesh should be soft).