This soup is a bit unconventional for my tastes, but it has so many flavors, and looks so colorful with the cilantro as a garnish. I used bone-in chicken with this soup, which some (i.e. my husband) claim is the best and only way it should be done. This is because my husband likes to eat the bones right along with the meat (unheard of, I know, but he as an accent, so I allow it). Bones are actually used when making chicken stock to give it flavor, so I understand his claim that it gives the soup more flavor. However, I did not find I needed to actually chew the bones in order to enjoy this soup (though my husband did)! The coconut and curry blend perfectly, and there were lots of vegetables to enjoy along the way. I adapted this recipe from a few others I read while browsing the internet and my cookbooks, and I was pleasantly surprised with the outcome!
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1-inch ginger, peeled and minced
6 pieces bone-in chicken
1 stalk of celery, chopped
1/2 lb mushrooms, sliced
2 large carrots, cut to match sticks
2 tablespoons curry powder
½ teaspoon red pepper
4 cups chicken broth
1 (14 oz) can coconut milk
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
juice from 2 limes
Salt to taste
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
2 scallions, finely sliced
In a large stock pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, and ginger. Saute for about three minutes, until soft. Add in chicken pieces. Stir in curry powder and red pepper, and cook until chicken is no longer pink, about 10 minutes. Add celery and mushrooms. Then add chicken broth, coconut milk, fish sauce, and sugar. Bring soup to a boil. Reduce to a simmer for 5 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through. Stir in lime juice and salt to taste. Simmer for 5 more minutes. Garnish soup with cilantro and scallions, and serve with jasmine rice.
I can understand if you have qualms about using the bone-in chicken. I did too. The result was delicious, but in my opinion, you could still use boneless chicken. Perhaps next time I make this soup, I will try using boneless chicken to see if there really is a difference in taste. Since the chicken I used was bone-in, it took longer than I expected to brown, but I'm pretty sure it was around 10 minutes. I had the fish sauce from another recipe that failed me (which I never posted). I wanted to use it up, since a I have a whole bottle, but if you don't, you could omit it! I was surprised about adding sugar to a soup, but somehow it mellowed the fish sauce and curry and brought out the sweet coconut. I used the cilantro to add color, but truly, the soup is still delicious without it!