Raw Red Pepper and Coconut Soup

I’m very lucky to work within walking distance of not one, but four fantastic raw and vegan restaurants: One Lucky Duck, Adelina, Jivamukti, and Bonobos (yes, like the monkey). While I bring my work to lunch or have work lunches on most days, I also like to support and take advantage of these great dining spots. Bonobos is one of my very favorite, for so many reasons: it’s got a ton of options, from the city’s best selection of nut pates to raw ice cream; it’s friendly; it boasts cheap and generous lunch specials; and, most of all, the people at Bonobos have created the world’s best version of chai (more on this in a moment).

Yesterday, I met my friends Cassie and David there for lunch. As usual, it was nearly impossible to choose what to eat, but I went with a tried and true: a make-your own salad with carrots, celery, peppers, marinated sweet broccoli, and lots of marinated kale. Bonobos offers two salad sizes, regular and “gorilla”; I went with gorilla. Here’s a close up of my bowl:

lunch-salad

Bonobos’ best lunch menu items, in my opinion, are their raw soups. They have a creamy avocado soup, a tomato basil, and a spectacular red pepper and coconut. We decided to split the tomato basil, which mimics the sweetness and creaminess of the conventional version and is totally delicious. Like all Bonobos soups, I learned, it’s made with minimal ingredients: tomatoes, olive oil, basil, sea salt, and agave. Here it is:

tomato-soup

But the true Bonobos masterpiece is without a doubt their coconut chai masala. It’s a blend of young coconut meat, coconut water, chai spices, agave, and some other sly ingredient that makes it spectacularly addictive. Think it’s hard to get people into raw foods or drinks? Try giving them this stuff. I’ve shared it with coworkers, many of whom are now calling it “coconut crack,” due to the compulsive cravings it provokes.

chai

Here are more shots of the restaurant, including the selection of nut pates and pre-made salads:

salad-bar-1

salad-bar-2

The huge selection of giant nori rolls:

nori-rolls

And the tasty raw ice creams, which are nothing more than blended frozen fruits:

ice-cream

Bonobos is at 18 East 23rd at Madison Avenue; if you’re near the NYC area, I highly recommend a visit!

This is my first night off all week, and, even if I’ve got some work to do, I’m so grateful to be curled up in yoga pants on my sofa. And I was equally excited to make a non-office dinner! Inspired by my homage to Bonobos, I tried recreating their incredible red pepper soup tonight. It was a success! Not quite as perfect as the original that inspired it, but a very good tribute.

This is a super simple soup to make. And even though it tastes rich and sweet, it’s sinlessly indulgent: young coconut meat is a nutritional powerhouse. The meat of one young coconut is full of healthy fat, potassium, and approximately 17% of your daily calcium. Coconut water, as we know, is full of vitamins, minerals, and potassium. (You can find young coconuts at most health food stores and Whole Foods markets nowadays.)

The recipe:

Red pepper and coconut soup (serves one)

I red pepper, chopped
Meat of one young coconut
¾ cup coconut water
½ packet stevia (you could also use dates or agave here)
¼ inch fresh ginger
Squeeze of lime

Blend ingredients in a high speed blender for several minutes, until very smooth. Here’s what you get:

red peppper coconut soup

What to do if you don’t have young coconuts lying around? I would replace the coconut meat with avocado, add a bit more water, and throw in some parsley and salt. The results should be similar, if a little less sweet (and you can sweeten with stevia or agave if you like).

Alongside, I had one of my big spinach salads with tomatoes, avocado, and sunflower sprouts I picked up at the greenmarket today.

salad

From above:

dinner-spread1

It was a really nice meal, and it felt well deserved after what has been an exceptionally long week.

I’m off to read, and then reward myself with a week’s worth of DVR. I hope you’re all enjoying your Fridays—and, if you’re here in NYC, enjoying the beautiful weather! xo

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Categories: Soups
Dietary Preferences: Raw

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    18 Comments
  1. You can make a hat out of a fleece blanket and a few mittens to go together with your hat. A matching fleece hat and mittens plus in style, look good and they’ll keep you warm. You may give their particular needs away for a present after you have made them.

  2. I visited bonobo’s on my birthday on 10/17/10 while on vacation. i learned about it from a wonderful lady on the plane to jfk.. this place is awesome. i just started my vegan journey and i was so tantalized by all the different options. my favorite was the kale salad and the bockchoy salad.. i need the recipe. when i return, i will be back… i also posted this as a great spot to eat on Postyourtrips.com website….

  3. Hi Gena,

    I just tried the Red Pepper Coconut Soup and loved it! I posted it on my blog and linked to your blog. Thanks so much for the recipe.

    Christy
    actorsdiet.blogspot.com

  4. thank you for your wonderful revue of Bonobo’s!
    just wanted you to know we are so grateful for your
    support. we are thrilled that you enjoy our food and
    hope to continue to keep you happy!
    all the best to you and continued success with all your ventures
    -from owners and mgmt of BONOBO’S

    • Hey there David! I was actually going to send this to your email. I love you guys, and you’ll see me there soon! I’ll keep spreading the word in the meantime 🙂

  5. Bonobos is definitely on my list of raw restaurants to visit along with Adelina and Quintessence. Thanks for the review, now I know what to get when I go! 🙂 Have a wonderful weekend! Enjoy that sun!!

  6. You are a luck girl! I have never heard of Adelina, yay for new places to check out. I was just thinking today about how much I miss all the great healthy options near my old job on 23rd street–right near bonobos!…and shake shack. Everything in the village is overpriced and the salad quality is pretty poor, which sucks if I don’t have the time to run to whole foods or PJATA. I wish I worked in midtown so I could go to FreeFoodsNYC. the menu is droolworthy.

    • It’s SO funny you say that, babe, because my friend Cassie swears that Free Foods is the best: she says that the raw lasagna is better than Pure’s, and half the price!! Hope you’re having a good wkd so far 🙂

  7. Oh, how I wish I lived in NYC with all the vegan restaurants. I’ll definitely be trying the soup – it looks so good.

    Daneen