Well, on that particular day, I was craving those Maruchan noodles and all of its MSG glory. As usual, my grandmother offered to cook it for me, but I was having a big girl moment that day. Big girls cook their own food, and I was determined to do it all on my own. I must have done 10 things wrong along the way, but I was so proud of my cooked noodles. So was my grandma.
I’ve come a long way with microwave cooking. Gone are the days of instant ramen and frozen meals, which have been replaced by single serving fried rice, lasagna, and soup dishes. I used to think that the microwave was just for reheating leftovers and making popcorn, but as I’ve discovered over the last year, that is not the case.
Seven must be my lucky number because it took me seven tries before I got this recipe down. Initially, I cooked this recipe at full power, and the soup kept overflowing EVERY SINGLE TIME. The batches of soup tasted spectacular, but what a mess they created! I actually threw in the towel and gave up on this recipe, until I spoke with Liz about it earlier this week. She asked me if I tried cooking the recipe at a lower power setting, which triggered a “Duh, why didn’t I think of that” moment from me. Lowering the power of the microwave made all the difference in the world! Just like we vary heat when we’re cooking on the stove, we need to vary the power output when cooking in the microwave, too!
Are you ready to try this? Make sure to read my notes below to make the perfect soup!
MASTERING MY MISTAKES / COOKING NOTES
- Set the mug on a plate: After making 6 batches of overflowing soups, I’ve learned that it is a good idea to set a large plate underneath the mug to catch any liquids. This makes cleaning up messes so much easier!
- Pay attention to your microwave’s power settings: You don’t want to cook this at you microwave’s highest power setting. What happens is that when the liquids reach a boiling point, it will want to bubble and flow over the mug. MESSY! Ick. We want to cook this at lower power settings so that the vegetables in the soup will have time to cook, but you won’t end up with pumpkin soup everywhere. Get to know your microwave and see what the different power settings are!
- Chopping: Try to chop your potatoes into 1/4-inch cubes so that they’re easier to cook.
- SHORTCUT: You can always use frozen vegetables instead of fresh ones for the recipe. This will definitely cut down your prep time.
10-Minute Spicy Pumpkin Curry Chowder in a Mug
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons diced potatoes, they should be around 1/4-inch cubes
- 3 tablespoons chopped kale
- 2 baby carrots, thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons corn
- 1/2 cup (120ml) vegetable broth
- 1/4 cup (60g) pumpkin puree (NOT pumpkin pie puree)
- 1/3 cup (80ml) unsweetened soy milk
- 2 teaspoons to 1 TBS maple syrup, depending on your taste
- 1 teaspoon curry powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, add more if necessary
- 1/8 teaspoon granulated garlic
- pinch of cayenne powder
- cashew cream for topping, optional
- chopped chives for topping, optional
Instructions
- Place potatoes, kale carrots, and corn in a microwave-safe mug. Pour in the vegetable broth. Cover mug with microwave-safe plastic wrap and poke a few holes on it with a knife.
- Place mug on a plate. With your microwave at medium-high powder, microwave the vegetables for 1 minute 30 seconds. The power output of my microwave is calibrated from numbers 1 to 10, and I set it to 7 for this step. Take mug out of the microwave and stir the vegetables a little. Microwave for another 45 seconds.
- Take mug out and let it sit and stir in the pumpkin, soy milk, curry, salt, garlic, and cayenne. Alternatively, you can stir the remaining ingredients in a separate bowl and then pour it into the mug. Cover the mug with plastic wrap again.
- With the microwave at a lower power setting (5/10 in my microwave), cook the soup for 1 minute. Take soup out and give everything a stir so that the vegetables cook evenly. Repeat this step 2 more times. Let the soup rest for 2 minutes before eating. This allows the vegetables to finish cooking. Top with cashew cream and chives if you like.
Notes
LOOKING FOR MORE MUG RECIPES? TRY THESE:
rachel@ Athletic Avocado says
im in awe of this! I am a huge fan of quick and easy microwave meals, this is genius! I gotta try this 🙂
Lisa says
Thank you, Rachel!
Liz @ Floating Kitchen says
Glad I could be helpful for once! Ha ha! This looks so comforting and I’m totally down for a microwave e-book. I didn’t have a microwave for about 15 years and now I do, but I kind of don’t really know what to do with it other than re-heating leftovers and melting butter. So I’m down to learn some new tricks!
Lisa says
Hah, you know you’ve helped me out more than once! I can’t wait to see what microwave tricks I can come up with along the way, too!
Traci | Vanilla And Bean says
I spy some potatoes in this comforting recipe! hehe! So, so delicious. Way to go with your e-book Lisa! Mine is 1/2 way done, but I’m not sure if I can get it completed by years end. All of a sudden this Fall is so full and then there’s the holidays! So, my hat is off to you my dear! Can’t wait to see your ebook!
Lisa says
Yup, there are definitely some potato action going on here! Traci, I can’t wait to see what you are preparing in your e-book!
Anne|Craving Something Healthy says
Lisa this looks so good and easy! Can’t wait to see your ebook!
Lisa says
Thanks, Anne!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says
This is the coolest idea! How awesome is a single serve MUG soup!
Lisa says
Thanks, Rebecca!! Single serve meals come in very handy!
Linda @ Veganosity says
This looks so delicious and cozy. Love the mug idea.
Lisa says
Thank you very much, Linda!
rebecca says
YUM! Great idea- I can’t wait for that cookbook!
Lisa says
Thanks, Rebecca!
Joanne says
There are not even words to describe my excitement for your impending eCookbook!! I have no time lately, so microwave cooking is definitely my friend. I see many many many mugs of this soup in my future!
Lisa says
Thank you SO much for your kind words, Joanne!!! Seriously, it means a lot!
Brie @ ToasterOvenLove says
Perfect recipe to use up that last bit of canned pumpkin sitting in my fridge! Your mug cookbook idea is genius, consider me an interested party 🙂
Lisa says
Thanks, Brie!! I’ll definitely be keeping everyone updated on the cookbook!
Theresa@aloveafare says
Ok! This is so creative. I love soup and I don’t always have time to make a big batch. I can’t wait to try this. It looks so delicious and creamy. Your photos are great. I’m getting the ingredients tomorrow. I’m pinning this right now!
Lisa Lin says
Thanks, Theresa!