I’m thrilled to be a part of Pacific Natural Foods’ Everyday Chef Challenge!  For the first round of the competition, $5 Dinners, Aggie’s Kitchen, Herbivoracious, A Savory Nest and I will be using a “secret” ingredient along with one of Pacific Natural Foods’ broth products *.

The secret ingredient for this round?  Mushrooms.  I used shiitake, though any type will work for the recipe below.  And I have chosen to use their Organic Vegetable Broth.

Thai Vegetable Soup
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 cups sliced shiitake mushrooms, trim off bottom of stems
1 quart Pacific Foods Organic Vegetable Broth
1 cup coconut milk
1 head broccoli, trimmed and chopped
1 tablespoon fresh ginger root, minced
2 tablespoons lime juice, freshly squeezed
¼ teaspoon celtic sea salt
½ cup cilantro, minced

1. Warm oil in a large saucepan over medium heat
2. Add onion, stirring frequently until softened, about 10 minutes
3. Add mushrooms and saute for 5 minutes
4. Stir in broth and coconut milk, bring to a simmer
5. Reduce heat to medium, add broccoli and ginger and cook until broccoli is bright green, 3-5 minutes
6. Stir in lime juice and salt
7. Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with cilantro
8. Serve

This gluten free Thai Vegetable Soup can be made in a jiffy with all natural, easy to find ingredients. It’s a wonderful dish to prepare for dinner on a chilly night when you are pinched for time. Get the children to trim and chop the mushrooms for you to speed up the process.  Your end result could be mighty satisfying; my little guy ate 3 bowls of this last night and was lapping it up!

So, head on over to Pacific and place your vote for me (if you like my recipe), or one of my competitors’ recipes. For more information check out Pacific Foods details about the Everyday Chef Challenge.

* Disclosure: I am working with Pacific Natural Foods as a participant in this promotion and have received a stipend