Thai Coconut Chicken Soup

Thai Coconut Chicken Soup

Christine Arnold’s adaptation

(So many people wanted this recipe after tasting it we said we'd put it in the RCT online)

Serves 8

Make sure not to use cream of coconut which is heavily sweetened and inappropriate for savory dishes in general.  Fish sauce is preferred in this recipe although soy sauce can be substituted.

                1 tablespoon vegetable oil

                2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger

                3-6 teaspoons Thai red curry paste

                6 cups low sodium chicken broth

                3 tablespoons fish sauce or soy sauce

                1 tablespoon light brown sugar

                2 (14 ounce) cans coconut milk

                1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts trimmed and sliced thin into 1 inch strips

                ¼ pound  white mushrooms, trimmed and sliced thin

                ¼ cup shredded carrots

                ¼ cup diced zucchini

                3 tablespoons fresh lime juice

                Salt

                ½ cup whole fresh cilantro leaves

Cooked rice to serve it over.

1.     Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering.  Stir in the ginger and curry paste and cook for 1 minute.  Add ½ cup of the broth and stir until curry paste dissolves.  Stir in the remaining broth , the fish sauce and brown sugar.  Bring to a simmer and cook, partially covered, for 15 minutes.

2.       Stir in the coconut milk, chicken, mushrooms and other vegetables.  Simmer until the chicken is cooked, about 5 minutes.  Stir in the lime juice and season with salt.  Sprinkle the bowls of soup with cilantro leaves before serving. Put rice in bowl and cover with soup to taste.

This soup can be cooled, covered, and refrigerated for up to 2 days.  It cannot be frozen, due to the coconut milk.  Reheat over low heat, taking care not to let it boil.