Coconut Curry Chicken Soup

If you happened to catch that awful, wretched flu that was going around this year, you may want to buddy up with this soup starting now and for every winter henceforth.  It's full of ingredients touted to heal the body and boost the immune system.  Chicken broth, coconut milk, and curry powder make for a nourishing powerhouse, but paired with the freshness of peppers, limes and cilantro, you've got a soup warming enough for a chilly winter evening and light enough to be enjoyed for a surprisingly large part of the year.  

I was skeptical at first about whether I'd like something like this but tried it out of curiosity and a desperation to introduce some new and exciting flavors into my fairly restrictive diet.  It's a sure favorite now. Plus, it comes together quick, makes great leftovers, and provides a well-rounded meal in just one simple bowl of soup that delivers a whole lot of healthy.

I tweaked on the original recipe by playing with the ratios a bit.  I like to use a lot of chicken broth and curry powder in this to get even more of those excellent health benefits in just a single serving.  Plus, it adds more flavor!  I think incorporating different spices and bold flavors into a diet where you can't have gluten, dairy, or sugar is one way to enjoy and feel more satisfied with your meals without pining away for those "high-inducing" foods you can no longer have.  But whether you have dietary restrictions or not, I hope you'll enjoy it!

Coconut Curry Chicken Soup

adapted from Cooking for Seven

INGREDIENTS:

1 lb. shredded chicken

2 Tbsp. coconut oil

1 small onion, diced

4 cups chicken broth

14 oz. can full-fat coconut milk*

1 cup water

2 limes, juiced

1 jalapeño, minced

2 Tbsp curry powder

1 1/2 tsp sea salt*

2 green peppers

1 bunch fresh cilantro (optional)

2 cups brown rice (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Boil 1 lb. chicken breasts or thighs until cooked through.  Remove from water and using two forks, shred into bite size pieces.  I usually have shredded chicken pre-cooked from a whole chicken (used also for broth) when I make this soup, and this makes prep time on the night you're doing it go much faster. 

2. Sauté diced onion in a couple tablespoons of coconut oil for about five minutes or until the onion is translucent.  Add the shredded chicken, broth, coconut milk, water, lime juice, minced jalapeño,  curry and salt.  We mince our jalapeño in a miniature food processor to avoid any potential burns from the seeds (and it's quicker).  If you don't want it spicy, just leave it out entirely.  Let this simmer for about 30 minutes.  

3. Then add the green peppers and simmer for about 10 minutes more.  I do this so the peppers retain a slight crunch and don't lose as much of their nutrients.  Adding them with everything else in the previous step is totally fine if you want to keep things simpler.  

4. While the soup is simmering cook up about 2 cups of brown rice (that's 2 cups uncooked rice grain) and chop up the fresh cilantro. Brown rice takes about 30-40 minutes to cook so start that before or quickly after you have your soup ready to simmer for the 30 minutes.  

5. Serve soup into bowls then add about 1/4 cup rice and 1 Tbsp chopped cilantro to each.  I keep these ingredients separate until it's time to serve because the rice soaks up liquid and I want my cilantro cooked as little as possible, both for flavor and to retain nutrients.  So store them in separate containers from the soup if you have leftovers.   

COOK TIME:

Comes together in about 1 hour.  And remember, it makes good leftovers so that time investment goes a long way!

SERVINGS:

Makes about 6 bowls of soup for us.

NOTE:

*You can use light canned coconut milk in this soup with good results, however we love it even more with full-fat.  Look for coconut milk in the Asian section of your grocery store, or at a health food store if you have access to one.  Trader Joe's carries light canned coconut milk for a great deal at $1/can if you're wanting to experiment for the first time without a major investment.    

*The amount of salt you add will depend largely on the broth you use, whether it's low sodium, regular, or even completely unsalted homemade broth.  The amount listed should work with the average store-bought broth but I make and salt my own broth at home so there could be a little variation.  Just taste test to see whether you need more or less!