Coconut Turmeric Chicken Soup

I love soup. Especially, a good chicken soup. I mean, who doesn’t? Chicken soup is the best comfort food and a cure-all for all illnesses. There are 2 types of chicken soup that I particularly love: Colombian Ajiaco soup and Indonesian Soto Ayam soup. Both are delicious and have ingredients that I enjoy so I created a recipe that combines the distinct flavors from both of these soups. It’s creamy and soothing with a touch of citrus. I like to serve the soup with rice but you can add broken spaghetti pasta to this soup to convert it into a chicken noodle soup. Try my recipe and let me know what you think!

Ingredients: (serves 6-8)

·      1 tbsp olive oil

·      1 tbsp turmeric

·      1 tsp cumin

·      2-2½ tsp salt

·      1 tsp ground black pepper

·      1 cup of coconut milk

·      3 cloves of garlic, smashed

·      4 tbsp fish sauce

·      1 oz chunks of ginger, peeled

·      2 stalks of lemongrass, cut into 3-inch sections

·      5 kaffir lime leaves, torn

·      4 chicken drums or 3 chicken thighs

·      ½ sweet yellow onion, diced

·      1½ cups of chopped carrots

·      1½ cups of chopped celery

·      2 cups of cubed white potatoes, skin peeled

·      2½-3 ears of corn, cut into 4-6 chunks each

·      2 cups of diced cilantro

·      2 limes, cut into wedges

·      3 quarts of water

Directions:

In a large 6-7 quart stock pot over medium high heat, add olive oil and sauté the onions and garlic until they have lightly browned. Add 2 quarts of water, chicken, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, ginger, 3 tbsp fish sauce, pepper, salt, and carrots. Cover pot with lid slightly ajar. Cook for 45 minutes, removing any fat and foam build up at the surface of the broth. You may have to lower heat to medium once the broth starts to boil.

Remove chicken. Meat should be fully cooked. Pull meat off the bones and shred into smaller pieces with a fork. Return bones to pot and set shredded chicken aside. Add celery, potatoes, coconut milk, remaining 1 tbsp of fish sauce, turmeric, cumin, and 1 quart of water. Cook for another 15 minutes, continuing to remove any fat and foam build up at the top.

Add corn. Cook for another 15 minutes.

Return shredded chicken to soup. Sprinkle in some cilantro, serve with a wedge of lime. The fresh citrus juice really enhances the flavor of the soup. Optional: eat with rice.