Soups Recipes - Chicken Soup with Crispy Shallots Recipe

Ingredients

• 40g/3 tbsp butter

• 1 onion, finely chopped

• 2 garlic cloves, chopped

• 2.5cm/1 in piece fresh root ginger, finely chopped

• 10ml/2 tsp green curry paste

• 2.5ml/2 tsp turmeric

• 400ml/14fl oz can coconut milk

• 475ml/2 cups chicken stock

• 2 lime leaves, shredded

• 1 lemon grass stalk, finely chopped

• 8 skinless, boneless chicken thighs

• 350g/12oz spinach, chopped

• 10ml/2 tsp fish sauce

• 30ml/2 tbsp lime juice

• 30ml/2 tbsp vegetable oil

• salt and ground black pepper

• 2 shallots, thinly sliced

• handful of Thai basil leaves, to garnish

Serves 6

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Method:

1. Melt the butter in a large, heavy pan. Add the onion, garlic and ginger; then cook for 4-5 minutes, until softened. Stir in the curry paste and turmeric, and cook for a further 2-3 minutes, stirring continuously.

2. Pour in two-thirds of the coconut milk; cook for 5 minutes. Add the stock, lime leaves, lemon grass and chicken. Heat until simmering; cook for 15 minutes or until the chicken is tender.

3. Remove the chicken thighs with a draining spoon and set them aside to cool. Add the spinach to the pan and cook for 3-4 minutes.

4. Stir in the remaining coconut milk and seasoning, then process the soup in a food processor or blender until almost smooth. Return the soup to the rinsed-out pan.

5. Cut the chicken thighs into bite size pieces and stir these into the soup with the fish sauce and lime juice. Reheat the soup gently until hot but do not let it boil.

6. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a frying pan and cook the shallots for 6-8 minutes, until crisp and golden, stirring occasionally. Drain on kitchen paper.

7. Ladle the soup into bowls, then top with the basil leaves and fried shallots, and serve.