Luffa squash soup

Luffa squash soup

Luffa, sometimes spelt as loofah, belongs to cucumber (Cucurbitaceae) family. It is popular in China and Vietnam. It grows in tropical and sub-tropical climates. The fully ripe fruit is so fibrous that pieces of the fruit are used as scrubbing sponge in the bathroom and in the kitchen. Even artists make paint brushes from it. It is an edible fruit. Many cultures make variety of dishes out of it.
It has a very mild bland taste and therefore it can be cooked with many meats, sea food and vegetables. It is most commonly used in soups and stews. But you can make curry and stuff it with cooked sea food, meats and vegetables.

Luffa squash

It is also known by the names such as Chinese okra and ribbed gourd. Chinese called okra because it resembles okra but in huge proportion. It is called ribbed gourd because of it intimidating sharp ribs running vertically from the top to bottom. There is nothing to be intimidated about it because it is surprisingly soft vegetable.

It is a seasonal vegetable. It will be on the shelves of supermarkets for about 2 to three months. If you have never tasted it, when you see it in the market, grab it and try it once. If you like it then you can use it in just about any soup and stew.

Today I am going to make a simple soup using luffa squash.

                                   Recipe summary
                                              For
                                  Luffa Squash soup

Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes

Serves: 4

1. First you slice off the top of the 500 grams Luffa squash 

Luffa squash

vegetable; it will ooze out a lot of milky white gum. You let it ooze out as much milk as possible. This milk is harmless. Then wash the squash before you begin peeling.

2. After that, remove the ribs with a potato peeler. Then you can peel the skin easily with a potato peeler or a sharp knife. Cut the flesh into ½ inch cubes.The skin is edible but I have never used it. 

Ingredients

3. Dry roast 200 grams mung bean in a wok till it is hard or place in a plate and roast in microwave for two minutes. Then  put it in a medium sized saucepan and add one cup of water and bring to a boil. Then lower the heat and let simmer uncovered for about 15 to 20  minutes or till the lentil is soft.

4. Mean while a large frying pan or a wok heat 2 tablespoon vegetable oil. When the oil is hot add 1 onion coarsely chopped, lower the heat to low and sauté it for about 5 minutes. 

5. Then add 2 leeks sliced into ½ inch pieces, 3 cloves garlic thinly sliced, 10 grams ginger minced, ¼ teaspoon cumin and ¼ teaspoon fennel seeds and continue frying for another 6 minutes. 

6. Then add the luffa squash slices and fry for 3 minutes. 
Add 2 cups water and ½ cup of vegetable stock and bring to a boil.
Add the cooked mung bean.Reduce the heat to low and simmer covered for 15 minutes or until the luffa becomes soft.

Luffa squash soup

7. By now a better part of the mung bean  would have dissolved to make the soup thicker. This is what we want.

Check the liquid for consistency if it is too thick add some water. If it is too thin boil it further to bring it to the right consistency.

When you are satisfied with the consistency add ¼ cup coconut cream and 1 teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper.
cook for 3 minutes  and take it off the heat. Taste for seasoning and adjust.

The luffa squash soup is ready. You can serve it as a starter or a side dish. It can also be taken as a meal by itself or with rice or bread.It will be a soup loved by all. Give a try.

Luffa squash soup is ready.
                                  

                        Recipe follows in detail with pictures. 

Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Serves: 4

 Ingredients:

Ingredients for Luffa squash soup

Split mung bean

Main
500 grams of Luffa squash cut into ½ inch cubes
200 grams split mung bean.
Others
2 leeks sliced into ½ inch pieces
1 onion coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon salt
½ cup of vegetable stock
¼cup coconut cream
3 cloves garlic thinly sliced
10 grams ginger minced
2 tablespoon of vegetable oil
3 cups water
Spices
¼ teaspoon pepper
¼ teaspoon cumin seeds
¼ teaspoon fennel seeds

Preparation

First you slice off the top of the vegetable; it will ooze out a lot of milky white gum. You let it ooze out as much milk as possible. This milk is harmless. It will not stain or irritate you hands or skin. But anyway we don’t want it. Then wash the squash before you begin peeling.

After that, remove the ribs with a potato peeler. Then you can peel the skin easily with a potato peeler or a sharp knife. Cut the flesh into ½ inch cubes. The skin is edible but I have never used it.

Dry roast mung bean in a wok till it is hard or place in a plate and roast in microwave for two minutes. Then  put it in a medium sized saucepan and add one cup of water and bring to a boil. Then lower the heat and let simmer uncovered for about 15 to 20  minutes or till the lentil is soft.

Split mung been is now boiled

Method

Mean while a large frying pan or a wok heat the vegetable oil. When the oil is hot add onion, lower the heat to low and sauté it for about 5 minutes. Then add the leeks, garlic, ginger, cumin and fennel seeds and continue frying for another 6 minutes.  Then add the luffa squash slices and fry for 3 minutes. By now mung bean would have boiled.
Add water and broth and bring to a boil.
Add the cooked mung bean
Reduce the heat to low and simmer covered for 15 minutes or until the luffa becomes soft.
By now a better part of the mung bean  would have dissolved to make the soup thicker. This is what we want.
Check the liquid for consistency if it is too thick add some water. If it is too thin boil it further to bring it to the right consistency.
When you are satisfied with the consistency add coconut cream and salt and pepper.
Cook for 3 minutes and take it off the heat. Taste for seasoning and adjust.
The luffa squash soup is ready. You can serve it as a starter or a side dish. It can also be taken as a meal by itself or with rice or bread.It will be a soup loved by all. Give a try.

 
Nutrition data for this recipe
Nutrition content is computed by adding nutrition values of individual ingredients according to the USDA nutrition database. Water shown here is what is found in the ingredients and not the water added while cooking. This is only an approximation. For further information please read my post “Nutrition information for my recipes.”
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