Sharing Recipe: Coconut Pumpkin Soup with Sea Scallops

As I mentioned a few posts back, I'm striving to go on more of a paleo diet for the next 30 days. I am actually trying to follow and learn about Mark Sisson's Primal Diet.  Well, tonight I made a coconut pumpkin soup with sea scallops for dinner. Oh my goodness, it was simply outstanding, not to mention so quick and easy to make.  I was literally licking my bowl as I ate my dinner - lol.  If this is eating primal, then where have you been all of my life??!!  Side Note: I made a pizza for my BF's dinner. I tasted a small slice, and it did not hold the same level of satisfaction that it once did. It didn't even taste good to me anymore, which is remarkable because the pizza that I cooked actually used to be my favorite.  It's only been a few days of eating "primal," and my palate has already noticeably changed. I actually find my primal meals to be so much more satisfying and filling than when I often enjoyed and craved pasta, breads, and rice.  The sugar cravings are also going away. I find comfort knowing that I can have a bit of fresh almond butter and dark chocolate to fight the cravings. A small serving is all that it takes.  Anyway, I wanted to share the recipe for the soup.  I wasn't sure if I was going to like coconut milk or coconut-anything, as I'm not a fan of coconut, but it was very tasty!

Coconut Pumpkin Soup with Ginger-Garlic Sea Scallops

Ingredients

1/2 lb sea scallops

1 small can Canned Pumpkin (organic if you can. My grocery store only had Libby brand)

3/4 can Coconut Milk (I used Taste of Thai brand Lite Coconut Milk)

3 cloves of Garlic, chopped

1T fresh ginger, chopped
Coconut oil and/or EVOO
Sea Salt & Pepper for seasoning
Handful of Blanched & Slivered Almonds, toasted (I only had whole, raw almonds. I crushed them and toasted.)
Fresh Basil & Cilantro for garnish

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400-degrees.
2. Rinse and pat dry scallops. Put them in a shallow dish and coat with EVOO. Season lightly with salt & pepper. I added a salt-free garlic & herb seasoning that I created as well. Top with garlic and ginger. Mix well and let sit for a few minutes to marinate.  (This marinade made the scallops burst with flavor! Simply outstanding!)
3. While the scallops are marinating, prepare the soup base.  Pour the canned pumpkin and coconut milk in a saucepan. Heat slowly to a simmer. Season lightly with salt & pepper to taste. Do not let the coconut milk come to a boil, as it will separate.  Allow to warm while you prepare the rest of the meal.
4. Line a cookie sheet or baking dish with parchment paper. Add the almonds to the pan and place into the hot oven to toast/warm. Watch them carefully so that they don't burn.
5. Heat 1 teaspoon of coconut oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.  Once hot, add scallops and all of the yummy ginger-garlic marinade. Cook the scallops 3-4 minutes per side, depending upon the size of the scallops.
6. Prepare soup bowls by adding soup base and 3-4 scallops per bowl (get some of that yummy ginger-garlic in that bowl as well).  Top with almonds, fresh basil, and fresh cilantro.

Sit down, kick back, and Enjoy!!

I did not think that I would be full after eating a bowl of this, but I was.  I even had enough leftover for another bowl.  I'll plan to eat it for lunch tomorrow.

On another note, I found myself feeling really tired today. I didn't sleep well, and I was hungry for a large part of the day. I kept putting off my workout, and I was simply exhausted and unable to perform when my clients left tonight.  I'll get a good night's sleep tonight and come back refreshed for tomorrow. I had a really great workout planned, too!