COCONUT THAI SOUP

 

This soup is heaven-on-wheels. Not only is it extremely hearty (wonderful, comforting and filling on a cold winter day), healthy and nourishing, it is also extremely supportive of immune function (chicken broth, garlic, ginger, shitake/maitake mushrooms, coconut milk/coconut oil, chili spice. If you’re really coming down with something I’d avoid adding the wild rice). It also may just be the best tasting soup you have ever had. This will serve 4-6 –assuming you haven’t invited me to dinner (I could practically eat the entire pot on my own). If you have any left over, it keeps well and may even taste better the next day—if this is even possible.

Ingredients:

• 1-2 quarts of either homemade or packaged organic, free-range chicken broth
• 1 large boneless chicken breast – cut into bite-sized pieces – May substitute (or even add) diced shrimp and/or scallops
• 1 medium sweet onion, diced
• Shitake or maitake mushrooms, diced
• 1-2 cloves of garlic, mashed or minced
• Grated ginger (as much or as little as you like)
• A handful of wild rice (entirely optional)
• Thai “Tom Yum” soup mix or red curry paste – 2+ tablespoons
• Fresh or frozen spinach
• Thai fish sauce (4-tbs)
• 1-2 cans organic coconut milk (avoid the ones saying “lite” on the label) *
• A handful of diced cilantro
• One juicy lemon

Directions:

–    Sauté onions and mushrooms in KerryGold butter or coconut oil with a dash of either regular sesame oil OR “hot pepper” sesame oil (depending on how spicy you like things) until lightly browned in a large soup kettle

–    Add the chicken broth and bring the mixture to a light boil-reduce to simmer

–    If you want to use the wild rice, rinse it first then add it to the broth.  This will take a good 45 minutes to properly cook

–    Add the Tom Yum soup mix/red curry paste while simmering

–    Add garlic and/or ginger also while simmering

–         After a few minutes (say 10 without the wild rice or 45 with the wild rice) increase heat back to a light boil and add raw chicken/shrimp/scallops.  These will cook quickly (maybe 5 minutes at most)

–         Add spinach

–         Add fish sauce

–         Reduce heat to simmer again and add in one to two cans of organic coconut milk and let it come back up to a simmer, then turn off heat

–         Serve it up in a large bowl (this can be a meal unto itself)

–         Squeeze in the juice of about ½ a lemon per serving (you can add less or more, depending on how lemony you like it)

–         Add a generous topping of diced cilantro

–         Be teleported to a whole new unparalleled gustatory nirvana
* Note:  For those of you concerned about BPA, guar gum or xantham gum:

The brand Native Forest has an organic coconut milk packaged in a BPA free can. The trace amount of guar gum used (in my opinion) is fairly negligible and not of any significant concern (unless someone has an unhealthy gut or digestive issues like SIBO – small intestinal bacterial overgrowth). 

If someone suffers from GI symptoms in general (especially IBS), you can go to www.importfood.com and order the Aroy-D all natural coconut milk or cream in a carton (no BPA, guar gum or xanthan gum added).

You always have the option of making coconut milk from scratch as well.