Thai Coconut Chicken Soup
Author: 
Serves: 4-6
 
Ingredients
  • 2 Tablespoons unrefined coconut oil
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 3-inch piece of ginger, peeled and sliced into big chunks for easy removal*
  • ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional) or sriracha or red chili paste to taste
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt + more to taste
  • 1 6-8” stalk lemon grass, white part only and split down the middle or smashed
  • ½-1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, pounded and thinly sliced
  • 1 14-ounce can coconut milk (I like Native Forest or Natural Value)
  • 4 cups homemade chicken stock, light vegetable stock or water
  • 3 Tablespoons fish sauce
  • juice from 1 lime
  • 1 large baby bok choy, sliced thin
  • A handful of mushrooms (any type), sliced thin
  • ¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped (also a little mint and/or basil is nice, too)
Instructions
  1. Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in onion and garlic and sauté until onion is translucent.
  2. Add ginger, red pepper, salt and lemongrass. Cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
  3. Add chicken to the pot and cook, stirring until chicken is white on the outside.
  4. Stir in the coconut milk, stock, fish sauce and lime juice and simmer until the chicken is thoroughly cooked and the flavors are well blended, about 10 minutes.
  5. Add bok choy, mushrooms and cilantro and simmer another 5 minutes. Taste for seasoning. Remove ginger and lemongrass stalk before serving.
Notes
*or grate a teaspoon or two or fresh ginger into the soup for more kick.
You can adjust many of the ingredients according to taste, especially the spiciness. Also, I vary the amount of chicken I use in this recipe according to what else I am serving in the meal.
This soup traditionally contains palm sugar, which is a higher quality unrefined sugar. If you would like to balance the sour and spicy with some sweet, add about 2 teaspoons.
I recently added chunks of halibut to this soup instead of chicken in Step 5 with the vegetables. Absolutely delish. Would be great with shrimp too - cook those for 3-4 minutes.
Recipe by Pamela Salzman at https://pamelasalzman.com/thai-coconut-chicken-soup-recipe/