Fresh Coconuts+ Raw Coconut Thai Soup

Most of us have had store-bought boxed coconut water that’s known to be full of potassium, electrolytes, and often marketed as sports drink or hangover remedy.  Coconut water really is one of the best ways to stay hydrated, but unfortunately there are only a few brands that sell raw coconut water. The best way to get the benefits of coconut water is drinking it straight from the source!

Raw young coconuts can be found at your local health store or most Asian and Latin markets.  Cracking them open can be a little tricky but you can find tons of instructional videos online (here’s my favorite). There’s nothing better than sticking a straw directly into a freshly opened coconut!

And let’s not forget about the coconut “meat”. Once the coconut is open you can scape out the meat and use it in smoothies, raw desserts or eat it on it’s own. Young raw coconut meat is a superfood containing calcium, iron, healthy fats, antioxidants and is known to boost your immune system and metabolism.

Let’s crack open a coconut and make a dish using both the water and the meat! My Raw Coconut Thai Soup is so creamy and flavorful, you would never guess it has so few ingredients! It’s nourishing and filling, yet still light and refreshing- the perfect summer dish for hot days!

Raw Coconut Thai Soup

makes 2 servings

What you’ll need:

• Meat of 1 young coconut+ half the water (not a mature brown coconut!)
• 1/2 avocado
• juice of 1 lime
• 1 clove of garlic
• 1/2″ piece of ginger, minced
• 1 tsp curry powder
• 1 tbs gluten-free tamari
• Salt and pepper to taste
• optional toppings- chopped cherry tomatoes, scallions, red pepper etc.

Directions:

1. Open coconut, empty water into cup and scrape out the meat.
2. Combine coconut meat, avocado, lime juice, garlic, ginger, curry powder, tamari and half the coconut water in blender until smooth. Save the other half of the coconut water for a refreshing drink later!
3. Add salt and pepper to taste and optional chopped toppings. Serve immediately or chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Enjoy!