Thai Coconut Curry Soup

Did I ever tell you about the time I managed and cooked for a YWAM cafeteria?
Two days after returning from our honeymoon,
Micah and I jumped into the job of managing a cafeteria
that fed over 200+ YWAM students three times a day.
And, here's the kicker... I had never cooked before.
Sure I had learned how to do a few things (like cook rice) before getting married,
but apart from that, I knew nothing.
No joking.
Thank the Lord for places like Allrecipes.com
that will calculate just how much I need to feed 200 people.
I also had a ton of ladies (and a few gents) teach me some essential basics
(like how to make a roux or how to bake bread).
They also taught me a few yummy recipes.
One lady who came in to help me had lived in Thailand for many years,
and one day she taught me this Thai Coconut Curry Soup recipe.
Probably one of the easiest soups to make ever...
and SUPER delicious.

Thai Coconut Curry Soup

What you'll need...

2 cans coconut milk (apx 15oz each)

2 cups chicken broth (or bone broth with a few tsp of chicken bouillon added)

2 chicken breasts, cut into small cubes

2 tbsp coconut oil

2 tbsp freshly minced ginger

2 tbsp freshly minced garlic

apx. 2 tbsp red curry paste (I use the May Ploy brand)

salt and coarse ground pepper

1 onion, diced

1 cup sliced mushrooms 

1/2 cup green peas

1 cup cubed potatoes

2 cups shredded green cabbage leaves

1 cup cooked rice

How it's done...

1. Cook the rice ahead of time, so that it has time to cool before the soup is done. I usually just cook it earlier in the day and leave it on the stove top. Plus, I don't need to worry about cooking one more thing at dinner time.

2. In a large stock pot,  heat the coconut oil on medium high heat. Add the chicken, onion, mushrooms, ginger, and garlic. Season generally with salt and pepper. And by generally, I mean at least a 1/2 tsp of salt and a 1/2 tsp of coarse ground pepper.

3. When the onions start to soften, add the curry paste and stir until the paste has broken down and is coating the chicken. (Towards the end of making the soup, you might need to add more curry paste. Curry is one of those seasonings that some people like hot and others like mild. So keep in mind you might need more than 2 tbsp. Also, if you use a different brand of curry, like Taste of Thai, you might need to start off with a bit less curry and adjust as you taste the soup towards the end.)

4. Once the curry has coated the chicken add the chicken broth and coconut milk and bring to a simmer. 

5. Add the peas and potatoes and simmer slowly until the potatoes and chicken have been fully cooked.

6. And lastly, taste to make sure the flavors are to your liking (adjust if needed), then add the shredded cabbage. Cook for another few minutes or until the cabbage has softened.

7. Serve hot topped with white rice.