This was an experiment that went rather well.  I posted my idea for this soup on Facebook a few days ago and received so much awesome feedback and so many great suggestions.  It’s always so fun to hear from  you guys…your input helps greatly!  The result?  This soup right here.  So good.  So light.  So fresh.  So savory.  So sweet.  So many textures.  So smooth.  So comforting.  Sign me up for 3 meals a day 7 days a week with this one..this is the epitome of my kind of food.  Simple, fresh, quick and comforting all dished up in one big bowl.

Chicken Coconut Curry Soup

Notes:  Here is my tip on storing fresh ginger.  Also, 1 Tablespoon of curry paste was perfect for my family…my 9 month old and almost 3 year old slurped it right up.  My husband and I would have liked a little more heat but we added crushed red pepper flakes to ours and it was great…if you’d like yours pretty spicy, add another tablespoon of curry paste.  In my option, the pasta is definitely not necessary.  My daughter and husband preferred it with pasta, I preferred it without.  To me, it just gets in the way of all the goodness but it’s definitely a great way to get those non-veggie lovers to enjoy a veggie dish 😉

Ingredients

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

1 Pound Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts, thinly sliced

1 Red Bell Pepper, cored, seeded and thinly sliced

1 1/2 Cups Chopped fresh Mushrooms (any fresh variety will do)

2 Carrots, thinly sliced

1 Tablespoon Red Curry Paste

4 Cloves Garlic, chopped

2 Tablespoons Fresh Grated Ginger

Zest + Juice of One Lime

3 Tablespoons Fish Sauce

2 Cups Chicken Stock

1 (15 Ounce) Can Unsweetened Coconut Milk

1 Tablespoon Honey

2 Cups Packed Baby Spinach Leaves

3 Green Onions, Sliced

Cilantro + Lime Wedges, for serving

Cooked Brown Rice Spaghetti Noodles, optional

Directions

Heat the olive oil in a dutch oven or soup pot over medium high heat.  Add the chicken and season liberally with salt and pepper.  Cook the chicken, stirring occasionally, until it is browned but not all the way cooked through.  Remove the chicken and set aside.

Add the peppers, mushrooms and carrots to the pot and stir fry for 2 minutes.  Add the curry paste, garlic and ginger and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.  Stir in the lime zest and juice, fish sauce, chicken stock, coconut milk and honey.  Bring to a simmer.  Add the chicken back to the pot and simmer for 10 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.  Stir in the spinach and green onion.  Serve with fresh cilantro and a squeeze of lime…and over cooked pasta, if you’d prefer.