Asian Comfort Food (Coconut-Curry Chicken Noodle Soup)

twissis's Note:

Chicken is the favoured meat of choice for most Asian soups and a simple, but rich stock is key to success. This curried soup combines them with coconut milk plus simple ingredients and an easy prep to create a tasty soup course (or 1-dish meal at your option). To allow for health issues and personal preferences, no salt or soy sauce is added to the soup, but soy sauce is served at the table for individual use. The amount of curry paste also allows for personal preferences. (Times do not include time for meat and stock to cool separately)

• Total Time: 1 hrs 5 mins
• Prep Time: 45 mins
• Cook Time: 20 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 8

• 1 whole chicken (rinsed well & cut in usual pieces)
• 2 (14 ounce) cans coconut milk
• 1/4-1/2 cup Thai curry paste (may use red or green, may sub curry powder as needed)
• 4 carrots (scraped or peeled & cut in 1/4 inch coins)
• 4 white onions (coarsely cut in bite-size pieces)
• 4 ounces snow peas (optional add to soup)
• 8 ounces rice noodles
• 1/4 cup cilantro (coarsely chopped for garnish, may use chopped parsley or sliced green onion)
• soy sauce (optional add at table)

Directions:

1. Rinse chicken pieces well and place in bottom of large stockpot or Dutch oven. Cover with water and simmer 45 minutes (covered).
2. Remove chicken to large bowl or platter. Allow both chicken and stock to fully cool.
3. While stock and chicken are cooling, prepare carrots and onions as directed and set aside.
4. When stock has fully cooled, skim any foamy residue or congealed fat from surface of stock and discard. Strain stock through a fine sieve and return to stockpot.
5. When chicken has fully cooled, remove and discard skin. Debone chicken, shred chicken meat as you go and return chicken meat to stockpot.
6. Add 2 cans coconut milk, carrot coins, onion pieces and 1/4 cup (red or green) Thai curry paste to stockpot (or curry powder to taste if using). Stir well to combine flavors.
7. Taste soup and adjust heat level - curry flavour according to your preferences with the addition of more curry paste (If using curry powder, you have already done this in Step 6 above).
8. Over low heat, slowly return soup to a simmer and cook (uncovered) for 20 minutes.
9. While soup is in final cooking stage, prepare rice noodles per package directions, drain well, rinse and set aside.
10. If using snow peas as optional add, rinse well and add to simmering soup when 1 min of cooking time remains. When cooking is complete, remove soup from heat source & serve immediately.
11. Place equal amount of rice noodles in the bottom of individual soup bowls, ladle soup over noodles, garnish as desired and serve with a small dish of soy sauce on the table.

Reviews

[breezermom]

Since Thanksgiving has just passed, I used my turkey stock and turkey instead of chicken. Otherwise, I followed the recipe. I put in a bit more red curry paste, and loved the flavors in this soup. I did add the snow peas, and they provided a bright hit of color. Absolutely loved the cilantro sprinkled on top. I will definitely make this delicious soup again! Thanks for sharing! Made for your win in Football tag, 2012.

[Sydney Mike]

Although I did follow the recipe right on down, as far as using a whole chicken, but after the chicken was done, I did cut the recipe back by half & reserved half of the chicken for a different recipe! Absolutely loved the flavor combo of this soup & will be keeping the recipe on hand to make again! [Made & reviewed during the Family Picks part of ZWT6]

[IngridH]

I have to say, regardless of the culture, chicken noodle soup is real comfort food! I cut this recipe to 2 servings. Instead of starting with a whole chicken, I used 2 bone in, skin on thighs, and simmered them in 3 cups of homemade stock until the meat was done, then proceeded at step 5. I used 1 1/2 teaspoons of curry paste, which was quite enough for me. I like heat, but prefer to be able to taste the other ingredients as well. I omitted the carrots, as I don't care for them cooked, and added 2 ounces of sliced cremini mushrooms instead. I used 1 teaspoon of fish sauce and 1 teaspoon of lime juice to get the final flavor that I was happy with. Made for the Seasoned Sailor and his Sassy Sirens for ZWT6.