Slow Cooker Thai Chicken Soup
This past week in San Francisco was one of the busiest and also the happiest I have spent here since I moved - which is saying a whole lot. I got to catch up with someone I've known since elementary school and discovered that we somehow turned out brilliantly similar (she's moving to SF soon as an added bonus), saw one of my favorite movies (A Hard Days Night) and saw some magic tricks, ended up catching the Jay-Z & Beyonce divorce tour thanks to a very last minute ticket hook up and generally had a smile on my face for days after exhausting days. When it came to this weekend, I was subsequently relieved to be sitting out of the Outsidelands hoopla and opted for hangs around my neighborhood, relaxing naps, and cooking lots of new recipes for friends.
It's pretty much always soup weather here in San Francisco, especially when Karl the Fog comes to hang out all day long, and this recipe for Thai Chicken Soup in the crock pot seemed simple and comforting enough that I set to work throwing it together on Sunday and was very happy with the results. I served it without rice or noodles although it would be very easy to add both. I also forgot the cilantro garnish so now I have a big bag of cilantro in my fridge - but also a big tupperware of leftover soup after feeding myself and two guests! You can also easily add whatever veggies you have around the house, potatoes, whatever you want that makes sense.
Here's the recipe - invite your friends, throw some frozen dumpings or eggrolls in the oven and enjoy a simple and satisfying meal that balances out the hectic days with ease.
SLOW COOKER THAI CHICKEN SOUP - slightly adapted from here
Ingredients
3-4 tablespoons red curry paste
2 12 ounce cans of coconut milk
2 cups chicken stock
2 tablespoons fish sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons peanut butter (I used light and it was fine)
2 pounds chicken breasts, cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces
2 red bell peppers, seeded and sliced into 1/4 inch slices
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 heaping tablespoon fresh ginger, minced (I didn't use fresh because I don't own a grater and it was fine)
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
1 tablespoon lime juice (I squeezed two small limes in)
cilantro for garnish
cooked white rice (optional)
hot sauce (optional)
Instructions
Place the chicken breast, red bell pepper, onion and ginger in the slow cooker
Mix the curry paste, chicken stock, fish sauce, brown sugar and peanut butter in a 4-1/2 to 6-quart slow-cooker bowl.
Cover and cook on high for 3.5 hours.
Add in the peas and the coconut milk, stir, and cook for 1 more hr on low
Stir in lime juice and serve with cilantro and white rice or noodles
