Coconut-Curry Chicken Soup

I bought the herb turmeric months ago after reading about it’s healing powers and thought I’d give it a try. It’s hailed as a digestive aid, inflammation fighter and cancer defender. It can also be applied directly to the skin to heal wounds and eczema. But until a few weeks ago all it had done is brighten up the spice cabinet with a little yellow.

It was time to put this guy to work. I tried this Coconut-Curry Chicken Soup in Cooking Light. Mine was a bit amateur – I didn’t have coriander or fish sauce and I swapped the snow peas for frozen peas and carrots. But you wouldn’t have known the difference. I was also missing the pad thai noodles, but I did have some leftover cooked spaghetti squash in the fridge. Worked just like noodles. Inventive, no? This is my new favorite now. I’ll definitely be making it the next time the temperatures drop below 30 again.

Recipe serves 7

Here’s what you need:
4 cups water
3 cups fresh spinach leaves
1/2 pound snow peas, trimmed and cut in half crosswise
1 package pad thai noodles or brown rice noodles
1 tbsp virgin coconut oil
1/4 cup thinly sliced shallots
2 tsp red curry paste
1 1/2 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1/2 tsp ground coriander
2 garlic cloves, minced
6 cups chicken stock
1 can light coconut milk
1 pound shredded cooked chicken (or diced)
1/2 cup chopped green onions
2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp fish sauce
1/2 cup fresh chopped cilantro
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
dash cayenne pepper (optional)
7 lime wedges

Here’s what you do:
Bring 4 cups of water to a boil in a large saucepan. Add spinach and peas to pan; cook for 30 seconds. Remove vegetables from pan with a slotted spoon; place in a large bowl. Add noodles to pan; cook 3 minutes. Drain; add noodles to spinach mixture in bowl.

Heat coconut oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add shallots and the next five ingredients (through garlic) to pot; saute 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add chicken broth to pot and bring to a boil. Add coconut milk to pot; reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes. Pour chicken mixture over noodle mixture in bowl. Stir in cilantro and red pepper. Add dash of cayenne if you’d like. Serve with lime wedges.