I was inspired by Jamie Oliver's Thai Red Chicken Soup recipe and had to make it. It was so simple and tasty and quickly became a family favorite! I have added my own sprinkle of this and that and I have to say, it's mighty good!
Most of the ingredients you probably have, and if not, they are readily available in most grocery stores. If butternut squash is not your thing, try another firm squash -- it's totally flexible, and pretty hard to mess up.
Let's get cooking!
Recipe yields 6-8 servings
What you will need
· 1 3.5 lb. whole free-range chicken
· 1 butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1.5” cubes
· 1 bunch of fresh cilantro
· 4 oz. jar Thai red curry paste
· 13.5 oz. can coconut cream (can substitute regular or light coconut milk)
· 2 tsp. fish sauce (or sea salt to taste)
· 1-2 Tbl. Chili paste (omit is spiciness not desired)
· Sea salt and black pepper to taste
· Lime wedges for garnish
· 3 cups cooked rice (optional for serving)
How to prepare:
1. Rinse chicken thoroughly with cold water, remove any giblets.
2. In a large pot, place whole chicken breast side up.
3. Peel butternut squash, cut in half lengthwise, scoop out seeds, and cut into 1.5” cubes. Add to the pot with chicken.
4. Chop the entire bunch of cilantro starting from the stalk end to all of the leafy portion. Set chopped leaves aside for garnish. Add the chopped stalks into the pot with chicken and butternut squash.
5. Add the entire jar of Thai red curry paste, coconut cream, and fish sauce to the pot.
6. Add water to the pot just until you cover the chicken.
7. Cover and heat on medium high until broth starts to simmer – lower heat to a simmer and cook for 1.5 hours.
8. Gently remove whole chicken with tongs or large spatula and set in a shallow serving dish. Spoon any fat from the surface of the soup over the chicken, then sprinkle with half the coriander leaves.
9. You can serve the broth as is – or if you a bit thicker consistency, you can mash the butternut squash to your liking (leaving some chunks or completely smooth). Simmer the broth, add the chili paste if you like a bit of heat (optional) and season with sea salt and pepper to taste.
To serve:
With two forks, gently shred the chicken in the serving dish. In a soup bowl, place ½ cup of rice (optional) – or simply place 3 nice ladles of broth into the bowl. Top with shredded chicken, garnish with cilantro leaves and a spritz from a lime wedge.
Enjoy!
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