Lemongrass Coriander(cilantro) soup

Lemongrass is a stalky plant with lemony scent that grows in tropical climate in south-east Asia.  Lemongrass is an important ingredient in many Thai dishes. Lemongrass is commonly used in tea, soup and curries. I had first time heard about lemongrass coriander soup from my mom who tasted this soup in a restaurant in India. I found it to be interesting and thought of giving it a try.  I have adapted this Lemon coriander soup from Tarla Dalal cookbook and made some modifications.

lemongrass

Ingredients:
Lemongrass- 1 stalk
carrot- 1
cabbage- 1/4 cup
green peas- a fist full
green beans- 4
ginger- 2 inch
soy sauce - 1/2 tsp
maggi seasoning- 2 drops (optional)
ajnamoto- a pinch (optional)
black pepper- to taste
salt  to taste
butter- 1 tsp
lemon juice- 1 tsp
cilanto (coriander leaves)- 2-3 tbsp
water- 4 cups

Preparation:

Grate the carrot and ginger. Chop the green beans and cabbage finely. Remove the outer covering of the lemongrass and chop the bulb. Heat the butter in a pan. Toss in all the vegetables and saute them for 2-3 minutes. Add soy sauce, maggi seasoning, ajnamoto. Add 4 cups of water and allow it to boil. Add salt and pepper. Boil for 2 minutes. Turn off  the heat and add lemon juice and garnish with coriander leaves.

Health facts: Lemongrass has medicinal properties and is used extensively in Ayurvedic medicine. It helps in relieving cough and nasal congestion. In 2006 a research team from Ben Gurion university from Israel found that lemongrass has anti-cancer properties.