I have a Thai take out addiction to rival the absolute worst of take out habits. It’s like that scene in Sex and the City where Miranda gets all freaked out that the Chinese restaurant that she always orders from, knows her order before she has to say it- only I’m not at all freaked out… I just love it.
Anyway- I did realize that my $8 bowls of soup were adding up… and that I might want to cut back on my ordering if I am to keep my new years resolution of being a bit more thrifty. So – I learned to make it! And… this is blasphemous, I know… but I think I like my version better!
Read on for the recipe and the super sweet nutrition facts.
- 1 quart chicken stock
- 1 tbsp lemongrass – minced
- juice of 1 lime
- 1 (3-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon mild chili threads
- 2 tsp minced garlic
- 1 can unsweetened (full fat) coconut milk
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 (6-ounce) jar shiitake mushroom slices, drained
- 2 cups shredded cooked chicken
- 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
- Kosher salt and pepper to taste
Start heating your chicken stock over low heat, then just keep adding the following ingredients in the order they are listed, ensuring that the soup stays warm, but does not boil. If it starts to boil, just turn off the heat for a minute or two!
When it is heated through, it is done!
*How I do my chicken: Place whole chicken in slow cooker on low heat, cook 4 hours. (With my slow cooker this fully cooks the chicken to fall off the bone perfection, your slow cooker might cook it faster or slower so keep watch. The easiest ‘is it done’ test is just to press gently on the top of the bird with… anything, when the bird is done, it will literally just give way and start to fall off the bones.) I just strain the chicken pieces from the chicken liquid, reserving the liquid (stock), and then pick the bones, skin, and other non-meat components from the mix. Boom, shredded chicken and chicken stock.
Nutrition per cup of soup, makes 12.
What a treat! Love all these flavours, and better than being cheaper that your takeout soup, you can customise it to suit your own flavour preferences. You just can’t beat soup, can you!
So true- in the winter a big bowl of soup is sort of up there on the crave list with chocolate… sort of