Thai - Style Coconut Chicken Soup

Mark T.'s Note:

For a lighter soup, substitute the following for the coconut milk. Wisk 3 1/2 cups fat free half and half, 1 tsp. coconut extract and 1 3/4 tbsp cornstarch and 3 1/2 tsp sugar. Make sure you wisk it right before you add it to the recipe. The fresh lemon grass can be omitted but the soup will lack some complexity. Don't be tempted to add dried or jarred lemon grass, as the flavor will be characterless. If you want a spicer soup, add more red curry paste to taste. For a more substantial meal, serve the soup over 2 to 3 cups of cooked jasmine rice. This is a Cooks Illustrated recipe and it is awesome!!

• Total Time: 50 mins
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 7

• 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
• 3 stalks lemongrass, halved lengthwise and sliced thin
• 3 large shallots, chopped
• 8 fresh cilantro stems, chopped course
• 3 tablespoons fish sauce
• 4 cups low sodium chicken broth
• 2 (14 ounce) cans coconut milk
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 8 ounces white mushrooms, sliced 1/4 inch thick
• 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast, cut in bite-size pices
• 3 tablespoons lime juice
• 2 teaspoons Thai red curry paste

Garnish

• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves
• 2 serrano chilies, stemmed, seeded and sliced thin
• 2 scallions, sliced thin
• lime wedge

Directions:

1. Heat oil in large saucepan over medimum heat until just shimering. Add lemon grass, shallots, cilantro, and 1 tablespoon fish sauce and cook, stirring frequently, until lemon grass and shallots are just softened but not browned, 2 to 5 minutes.
2. Stir in chicken boroth and 1/2 of coconut milk and bring to a simmer over high heat. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer until flavors have blended, about 10 minutes. Pour broth through fine-mesh strainer and discard solids. Rinse saucepan and return broth mixture to pan.
3. Stir remaining coconut milk and sugar into borth mixture and bring to simmer over medimum high heat, add mushrooms, and cook until just tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Add chicken and cook, stirring constantly, until no longer pink, 1 to 3 minutes. Remove soup from heat. Combine lime juice, curry paste, and remaining 2 tablespoons fish sauce in small bowl and stir into soup.
4. FOR THE GARNISH: Ladle soup into bowles and garnish with cilantro, chiles, and scallions. Serve immediately with lime wedges.