Tom Yum

This traditional Thai-style soup is my personal favorite. I love coconuts, and this soup is all about the coco. I like to use different ages of coconut meat to get varied textures. A more mature nut makes a chunky soup, while a younger one makes a creamy soup. I also like to use a variety of hot peppers: jalapeño, serrano, and even the super-spicy Thai chile, just to get a wide range of spiciness. Some peppers are hot as you eat them, others after you eat them; my favorites are hot only when you stop eating them.

1 coconut

7 leaves basil, plus additional for garnish

1 sprig oregano

5 sprigs cilantro, stemmed

1/2 Thai, jalapeño, or Serrano chile, seeded and minced

2 tablespoons Bragg Liquid Aminos or nama shoyu

Open the coconut with a machete, cleaver, drill, or knife. Pour the coconut water into a blender. With a metal spoon, scoop out the coconut meat and place in the blender with the coconut water. Add the basil, oregano, cilantro, chile, and Braggs and blend until smooth. Pour the soup into individual bowls and garnish each with a few basil leaves.

Recipe Credit: www.epicurious.com