It’s not complicated. Yet it’s the opposite of simplified. You see? It’s complified.
My blogging friend, Caroline from Pinch Me, I’m Eating!, posted a soup recipe recently that really grabbed me.
It was so simple and sounded so good that I had to make it as soon as possible. And, me being me, I had to complify it.
The flavors in this are wonderful, and Caroline offers the best method for cooking chicken and her almost miraculous method for shredding it. Why didn’t I know about this years ago? You can check it out HERE.
For the soup I used her method with four skinless, boneless chicken thighs. It was the perfect amount for the recipe.
Caroline called for putting all the broth ingredients in at once, then bringing them to a boil.
Me? Since using onion powder is not in my genetic makeup, and I don’t have any in the house, I changed the broth method to include sautéed chopped fresh onion, then I added the spices to toast them a bit, and only after this did I add the remaining ingredients.
No, not a change in ingredients, just in method. Which transformed it from being a quick minute or two, to the normal time it would take to make a soup from scratch. But still, it is easy and quick... and unbelievably good.
I made one other small change - in a nod to the healthy kale in the soup – I used light coconut milk instead of full fat. And, for curry powder, I credit friends Laura and Arch for a wonderful curry powder they brought back from Dubai.
I paired this with a lovely 2016 Bandol from Château Val d'Arenc. Head over the the Provence WineZine to read more about it.
Thank you, Caroline, for this fantastic recipe that has already joined our regular dinner rotation.
~ David
Coconut Curry Chicken Soup
Recipe adapted from Pinch Me, I’m Eating!
For the broth:
1 small onion, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon mild chile powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
2 14-oz cans coconut milk (I used light)
4 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup lime juice
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
For finishing the soup:
3 cups shredded cooked chicken
3 large carrots, grated
1 large bunch kale
In a large saucepan, sauté the onion in olive oil until clear and soft. Add the curry powder, salt, chile, and cayenne, and cook for 1 minute. Add all remaining broth ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer.
Add the cooked, shredded chicken and carrots; simmer for about 10 minutes, or until carrots are tender.
While the soup is simmering, remove tough stems from the kale, and tear or cut into bite-sized pieces (maybe 2 inches square). Take a moment to squeeze it tight a bit - massaging the kale breaks down the tough fibers.
Stir in kale pieces until wilted and tender - about 7 minutes.
Serve immediately.
Serves 4 as a main course.
Labels: chicken, coconut milk, curry, easy, kale, lime, soup
