I could taste this Curry Chicken soup recipe for days in my imagination and I can so remember that taste of good old curry powder right back to my Nanna’s cooking when I was a child. That heady smell of spices just takes me right back. However, food has come a long way since then and I thought it was high time to modernise an old classic. The addition of a fresh Asian garnish, assorted crisp green veggies and a sprinkle of toasted coconut really gave this old classic a much needed lift. It was absolutely delicious and provided much needed comfort in a most surreal time for everyone. I hope this modernised version of Curry Chicken Soup does the same for you. #cookingduringcovid
Prep time: 20 Minutes
Cooking time: 30 Minutes
$$ Medium Budget
Serves 4
Oil for frying (peanut, vegetable, canola)
2 chicken breast fillets
4 portions of rice vermicelli noodles, prepared according to packet instructions
3 garlic cloves, finely minced
Stalks of 1 bunch of coriander, well rinsed and finely chopped
Half a bunch of coriander leaves, roughly chopped
3cm piece of ginger, peeled and finely minced
1 large brown onion, peeled, halved and sliced to to bottom
3 tbs of curry powder*
1 litre of chicken stock
400gm can of coconut cream
100ml of pure cream (optional but does make it beautifully creamy)
Juice of 1 lemon
1 Zucchini, halved and sliced diagonally
1 bunch of broccolini, sliced diagonally
A couple of handfuls of green beans, ends removed and halved diagonally
Sea salt and cracked pepper
For the Garnish:
2 Spring onions, sliced diagonally,
Half a bunch of coriander leaves, picked
1 long green chilli, sliced diagonally
1/2 a cup of shredded coconut, lightly toasted in a dry pan
To make the curry chicken soup, heat a large pot and add a little oil. Fry the onions until they are just starting to soften and then add the ginger, garlic and coriander stalks. Fry and stir until aromatic and then sprinkle over the curry powder, stirring continuously and taking care not to burn the spices. Pour in the stock and coconut cream, stir to combine and bring to a low simmer. Once simmering, pop the chicken breast fillets in and cover with a lid. Poach on a gentle simmer for about 15 minutes or until the breast meat is just cooked, you can remove and slice one in half to check. Once cooked, remove and set aside to cool down.
Add the cream and lemon juice to the soup stock, season generously with salt and pepper and stir to combine. Allow the soup to simmer gently while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
Place the spring onion and coriander leaves in a bowl of iced water so they are nice and crispy.
Once the chicken has cooled enough to handle, use your hands to pull the chicken apart so it nice and shredded.
Prepare your noodles according to packet instructions.
Place the chicken and the green vegetables into the soup and turn up the heat. Simmer for about 5-7 minutes until the vegetables are just cooked but still lovely and bright green in colour.
To plate the Curry Chicken soup, divide noodles between four bowls and ladle over the soup. Drain the garnish and place a nice pile on top of each bowl, sprinkle over toasted coconut and scatter over green chilli slices. Serve the soup with extra lemon wedges for an extra bit of zing!
*There are quite a few different curry powders on the market but I have always preferred Clive of India as a brand. It is a very mild version and is low in salt which means you can add heat and salt to your liking. If you are using the Keen’s version, take care with the hot one as it can be quite spicy. Maybe just add a spoon at a time until you have your desired flavour and heat.
Love the flavour of traditional curry powder? You might like to cook this……
https://emsfoodforfriends.com.au/big-johns-sausage-curry/
