Thai Coconut Soup with Chicken and Rice

March 26, 2015

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As long as I’ve known Clara (almost 3 years now!) she’s been soup-averse. Not a fan of purees or anything swimming in broth. She’ll usually try them, and then lose interest. I’ve often gotten away with draining the liquid off and serving soup less “soupy”. But rarely does she devour, with pleasure, a bowl of anything soupish without resistance. This was the soup though that made history.

Curry spices + rich coconut milk + shredded chicken + rice + lime juice + cilantro…. essentially coconut chicken curry in soup form. It comes together in about 15 minutes and Dustin, Clara, and I agreed: it’s absolutely delicious!

If you want to complicate things (and maybe add an extra bit of nutrition/flavor), you could saute a small onion, a few cloves of garlic, and some diced red bell pepper before adding the spices at the beginning. But totally not necessary. This soup was full of flavor and perfect just as written. We like our soup thick so I added lots of chicken and rice- cut back on both for a thinner consistency. And you’re always welcome to spice it up to taste. When serving a child, I usually just provide pepper flakes on the side. Serve with warm naan for dipping.

Thai Coconut Soup with Chicken and Rice

INGREDIENTS

1-2 Tbsp. butter, olive oil, or coconut oil
1/2 tsp. curry powder
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. chili powder
dash cayenne pepper (to taste)
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste (I added ~1 tsp. salt)
1 large carrot, grated
2 cups homemade or low-sodium chicken broth
1 15-ounce can coconut milk
2 1/2 cups cooked shredded chicken (I used half of a Whole Foods rotisserie chicken)
2 cups cooked white or brown rice (I used white Jasmine rice)
2 Tbsp. lime juice
1 Tbsp. low-sodium soy sauce
fresh cilantro, chopped for serving

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large pot or dutch oven, melt the butter/oil over medium heat, then stir in the spices and let cook for about 30 seconds, stirring frequently. Add the carrots, stir to combine and let cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes, until the carrots are soft.

2. Add the remaining ingredients (chicken broth through soy sauce) and bring to a low boil, then let simmer for about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste, stir in fresh cilantro, and serve immediately.

Serves 4-6.

(Adapted from Everyday Reading)

9 thoughts on “Thai Coconut Soup with Chicken and Rice

  1. Ashley M

    I found my old recipe!!!

    Ingredients
    1 tablespoon canola oil
    1/4 cup shredded carrots
    1/4 cup thinly sliced shallots
    2 teaspoons red curry paste
    2 teaspoons curry powder
    1 teaspoon ginger paste
    1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
    2 garlic cloves, minced
    6 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
    1 cup brown rice
    1 (13.5-ounce) can light coconut milk
    2 1/2 cups shredded cooked chicken breast (about 1 pound)
    1/2 cup chopped green onions
    2 tablespoons sugar
    1 tablespoons fish sauce
    1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
    7 lime wedges

    How to Make
    Heat canola oil in pan over medium-high heat. Add shallots and carrots and the spices ingredients (through garlic) to pan; sauté 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add chicken broth to pan, and bring to a boil. Add coconut milk to pan and rice; reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes. Add chicken, onions, sugar, and fish sauce to pan; cook for 5 minutes. Stir in cilantro. Serve with lime wedges.

    Reply
    1. Amy

      Ashley! You saved my soup sanity! This is a family fave & I was just sitting down to try & come up with a game plan to reinvent it….I’ve been craving it for weeks but didn’t have the energy to use the old link below & try to reinvent it.

      I’m so glad I checked the comments before I got started!

      Reply
  2. Laura

    Am I imagining things, or has this recipe recently changed? I’ve been making this soup for years now, but with red curry paste, and shallots (and maybe some other missing ingredients). Has the link changed? Or am I going crazy?

    Reply
      1. Jessie Davis Post author

        I just use a mild curry powder- trader joe’s brand is one of my favorites! And if you like more heat you can always add cayenne or red pepper flakes at the end!

        Reply

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