With a multicultural neighborhood like ours here in Dubai, we get to celebrate all sorts of festivals. The Hindus celebrate the beginning of spring with Holi, the festival of colors. People throw colored water at each other. The majority of my kids’ friends are Indians. So we were invited to a kids’ Holi. Honestly, I had no clue what I was in for. Especially the “long term effects” of colored water being squirted at my two blonde kids were undeniable. Something that could not be seen on their Indian friends. But I had two pink-haired children for almost a week until it finally washed off.
Spring, otherwise, didn’t do us much good so far. A constant change in weather from cold to warm and back is making us sniff and cough and it just doesn’t seem to go away. The sound of sniffing noses is driving me mad by now, probably aggravated by being less patient due to my own little cold attacks.
Chicken soup is what is supposed to help in this case. I felt that an extra portion of chili with the soup would help chase those nasty bugs out of my system. I made this Thai Chicken Soup that took me less than 30 minutes. Indeed, it ticked all the boxes that I expected when making it: a soothing chicken soup, with a refreshing hint of lemongrass to awaken my weak and tired body while the chili cleared my blocked nasal passages. Brightly colored veggies added the crunch and some extra vitamins to it. This soup is surely invigorating and a very pretty dish to serve.
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THAI CHICKEN LEMONGRASS SOUP
2 cups chicken stock
1 can 400ml/16oz coconut milk
1 red chili, deseeded and finely chopped
1 1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
1 lemongrass stalk, trimmed finely chopped
1 teaspoon red curry paste
2 chicken breasts, cut into small and thin strips
1 red bell pepper, deseeded and cut into small and thin strips
1/2 cup broccoli florets
2 spring onions, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
fresh cilantro
Serves 2
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In a pan and over medium heat, bring chicken stock and coconut to a boil. Let simmer for 5 minutes, then add fresh chili, ginger, lemongrass and curry paste. Simmer for another 5 minutes.
Add chicken, bell pepper, broccoli and spring onions. Cook for 10 minutes.
Season with a tablespoon of lime juice and garnish with fresh cilantro. Ready to serve.
Looks absolutely delicious. Thai food is one of my favourite. And these ingredients are wonderful! Must try!
Mmm…soup. Looks lovely anja – can’t wait to try this one day.
thai is my favorite cuisine because of its fine balance between salty/sweet/sour/spicy/bitter. being hungarian with a swedish husband who has colombian blood in him and living in nyc i can say i am exposed to a multicultural lifestyle. 🙂
this soup rocks!!! 🙂
I’m so excited you posted this recipe! I’ve been eying the stalks of lemongrass at the marked for weeks and wanting to make soup. All of your recipes turn out so perfectly so I can’t wait to try this one!
Thanks so much for sharing.
@ Healthy Mamma
Go buy them! I can also highly recommend my prawn curry (http://www.anjasfood4thought.com/2010/04/prawn-curry-with-coconut-and-lemongrass.html). If you don’t like it with prawns, it is as good with chicken.
This soup looks so good. This is probably the one thai dish that my daughter could eat.
I love Prawns! Going to the market today!