Thai Curry Chicken Soup

By Peggie

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 tbsp Thai red curry paste
• 3 cups (24 oz/750 ml) chicken stock or prepared broth
• 3 cups (24 oz/750 ml) unsweetened coconut milk, well shaken
• 1 large lemongrass stalk, trimmed and cut into 2 inch pieces
• 6 thin slices fresh ginger, unpeeled
• 2-4 Thai chiles, cut in half lenghtwise
• 3 tbsp fresh lime juice
• 2 tbsp Asian fish sauce
• 3/4 lb (375g) skinless boneless chicken breasts, cut into thin strips
• 1/2 lb (250g) fresh white button mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 1/3 cup (1/3 oz/10g) thinly sliced fresh basil leaves, preferably Thai basil, plus small whole leaves for garnish.

Details

Servings 4

Preparation

Step 1

In a soup pot over medium heat, warm the oil. Add the curry paste and cook, stirring until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the stock, coconut milk, lemongrass, ginger, chiles to taste, lime juice and fish sauce and bring to a simmer. Stir well and simmer until fragrant, about 5 minutes.

Add the chicken strips and cook until just opaque throughout, about 2 minutes. Add the mushroom and sliced basil and cook until the mushrooms are softened, 2 minutes longer.

Ladle the soup into warmed bowls and garnish with the whole basil leaves. Serve immediately.

Note: Read the label on the coconut milk carefully to make sure it is unsweetened milk. Otherwise the soup withal be cloyingly sweet.

Makes 4-6 servings