Once you have your own homemade chicken stock on hand, you’ll be excited to make some soup. This modified recipe from America’s Test Kitchen is bright and satisfying, and quick enough to pull together with very little prep other than having some fresh ingredients on hand. Perfect for soup season.
Ingredients for the soup:
Oil
3 stalks lemon grass, bottom few inches only, trimmed & sliced thin
3 large shallots, chopped
8 sprigs fresh cilantro, chopped
3 Tbs fish sauce
4 C chicken stock
2 cans coconut milk
1 Tbs sugar
8 oz fresh mushrooms, sliced
1lb boneless chicken—tenders, breast, or thigh, cut into thin slices
juice of 2 limes
2 tsp red curry paste
Garnish:
1/2 C loosely packed cilantro leaves
2 Thai, serrano, or jalapeno peppers, seeds removed & sliced thinly
2 scallions, sliced thin
lime wedges
Instructions:
Heat 1 tsp oil in large saucepan over medium heat; add lemon grass, shallots, cilantro, and 1 Tb fish sauce and cook, stirring frequently until just soft. 2-5 minutes.
Stir in the broth and 1 can coconut milk and bring to the simmer over high heat. Cover, reduce to low, and simmer 10 minutes. Pour broth through fine-mesh strainer and discard the solids.
Return the soup to the saucepan and return to a simmer. Add remaining can coconut milk and sugar, stirring to combine. Add mushrooms and cook until tender. Add chicken slices and cook, stirring constantly, until no longer pink. Remove soup from heat.
Whisk remaining fish sauce, lime juice, and curry paste in small bowl, then blend into soup. (For a spicier soup, add more curry paste.) Ladle into individual bowls and top with garnish, serving with lime wedges on the side.
For step-by-step instructions on how to make your own chicken stock at home, check out my blog post: Homemade Chicken Stock | Jones Family Farm