I love soup. Maybe it is because, more than anything else, my soul craves comfort. Maybe it is because soup is served in bowls. There is a certain intimacy in eating from a bowl. Wrapping my hands around a bowl of hot broth and the feeling its warmth permeate my skin is oddly fulfilling.

It has been raining every single day and a warm, hearty stew is what I have been craving post the Diwali sugar rush. This mushroom and potato soup is a family favorite. It is a recipe I make often, using any greens I have on hand. The coconut milk adds a creamy richness and the vegetables make it filling. It is comfort food at its soul-satisfying best.

Recipe

Mushroom and Potato Soup with Collard Greens

(Serves 4-6)

Ingredients

1 tbsp coconut/olive oil
1 large red onion, finely sliced
2 spring onions, chopped (keep the whites and greens separate)
4 large garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp red chilli flakes
Salt and black pepper to taste
200 gms button mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 large potato, scrubbed well and thinly sliced (I leave the skin on)
2 1/2 cups vegetable stock, heated (this can be substituted with 2 vegetable soup cubes and 2 1/2 cups hot water)
2 cups collard greens, roughly chopped (you can substitute this with any greens like kale/spinach)
3/4 cup thick coconut milk (for this recipe I like to use Kara brand Tetrapack UHT coconut milk)
1 tbsp fresh lime juice

Method

In a large stock pot/Dutch oven heat the oil over a medium flame. Add the sliced onions, spring onions (white part), garlic, chilli flakes, salt and pepper. Sauté until the onions turn transparent.

Add the sliced potatoes and sauté for 5 more minutes.

Add the mushrooms and continue to cook, stirring frequently until they turn glossy and start to shrink.

Add in the hot stock, cover and cook for 10 minutes or until the potatoes are soft. Use a wooden spoon to mash them a bit. This will help give some body to the broth.

Add in the chopped collard greens along with the spring onion greens. Once the greens start to wilt, lower the heat and stir in the coconut milk.

Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed. Simmer for 5 more minutes.

Stir in the lime juice and serve hot.