Coconut-Curry Chicken Soup

This soup is loaded with flavor and textures, from crunchy snow peas to slurpy rice noodles. Tina Washburn of San Diego (hello neighbor!) posted it in 2008 and I was happy to stumble on it in 2020. The ingredient list appears long, but it comes together quickly. It will be even better the next day as the flavors meld, unless you do what I did and get so absorbed watching the Golden Globes that I let it cook rather than reheat, and lost all the crunch.

I suggest you wait to add the spinach until serving, if you are making this ahead. If you like it spicier, add more curry paste and chiles or red pepper flakes. Delicious!

4 cups water

3 cups fresh spinach leaves

1/2 lb. snow peas, trimmed and cut in half crosswise

1 (5 3/4 ounce) package pad thai noodles

1 Tbs. canola oil

1/4 cup thinly sliced shallots

2 tsp. red curry paste

1 1/2 tsp. curry powder

1/2 tsp. ground tumeric

1/2 tsp. ground coriander

2 garlic cloves, minced

6 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth

1 (13.5 ounce) can light coconut milk

2 1/2 cups shredded cooked chicken breast (about 1 pound)

1/2 cup chopped green onions

2 Tbs. sugar

2 Tbs. fish sauce

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

4 small hot red chiles, seeded and chopped, or 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper

7 lime wedges

Step 1
Bring 4 cups water to a boil in a large saucepan. Add spinach and peas to pan; cook for 30 seconds. Remove vegetables from pan with a slotted spoon; place in a large bowl. Add noodles to pan, cook 3 minutes. Drain; add noodles to spinach mixture in bowl.

Step 2
Heat canola oil in pan over medium-high heat. Add shallots and the next 5 ingredients (through garlic) to pan, saute 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add chicken broth to pan, and bring to a boil. Add coconut milk to pan; reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes. Add chicken, onions, sugar and fish sauce to pan; cook for 2 minutes. Pour chicken mixture over noodle mixture in bowl. Stir in cilantro and chiles. Serve with lime wedges.

Note: I used the 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper, and I’m sure the small hot red chiles would have added more of a kick. I think only 1 Tbs. sugar was right for my taste, but you decide. Also added some thinly sliced carrot and sliced red bell pepper for color. The lazy or in a hurry cook could skip Step 1 and toss in the noodles to cook with the chicken and onions and then add the peas and spinach at the very end since they only need a minute. That’s what I did (and I wasn’t in a hurry!)