coconut curry soup

This soup is amazing! Geoff, the self-confessed soup hater, even told me after one bite that it was the best soup I had ever made. And then we stopped talking and just slurped down every bite of delicious soup. I followed the recipe pretty closely, except I used about half as much chicken (we’re always trying to cut back on meat), a whole onion, and regular coconut milk instead of light. Somehow the light coconut milk just never seems to add that creamy coconut flavor that I love so well.  I also left out the fish sauce, because I think it’s disgusting. I served it over basmati rice (Geoff’s fave) and it was delicious and Indian-y. Yum!

Coconut Curry Soup
Mel’s Kitchen Cafe

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 pounds chicken breasts, (about 3), cut into 1-inch pieces
Salt and pepper for seasoning
1/2 cup chopped yellow onion (about 1/2 medium onion)
1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 can (14-ounces) unsweetened light coconut milk
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper or more to taste
1 tablespoon brown sugar
½ tablespoon curry powder
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice (about 1 medium lime)
¼ cup fresh cilantro

3-4 cups hot, cooked rice for serving

DIRECTIONS:
In a large pot, heat the oil over medium heat until it is hot and shimmering. Pat the chicken pieces dry with a paper towel and season them lightly with salt and pepper. Add them to the hot oil. Let the chicken cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the onions and red pepper. Cook for 2-3 minutes, until the onions and peppers are slightly softened. The chicken and vegetables don’t have to be fully cooked as they will simmer and cook further in the next step.

Add the chicken broth, coconut milk, fish sauce, cayenne pepper, brown sugar and curry powder. Stir to combine. Bring the soup to a simmer and cook, gently, for 10-15 minutes. Stir in the lime juice and cilantro. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve a ladle or two of the soup over a scoop of rice and garnish with more cilantro, if desired.