Coconut Chicken Curry Soup,... and My Retirement Plans

The taste of curry is on my list of top ten favorites. Such a list doesn't technically exist, but it's in the works... if a mental list which currently consists of... only curry... counts. Anywho, I didn't know it was a favorite of mine until Bryn's husband Alex made his mango, ginger curry for us- a dish that could tempt a bear out of hibernation. Thing is, Alex never cooks from a recipe and never writes down what he does. Dang you, Alex! One of these days I'm going to commission someone to stand over his shoulder in the kitchen for a year and take notes. Then I'll publish a bestselling cookbook and Shawn and I will retire in New England where I'll frequent farmer's markets and learn to garden like the horticulturists at Longwood Gardens in Pennsylvania.

But, don't despair. I do have a curry dish recipe for you which I love so much that I probably make it every month. For me, that's frequent. It comes from the lovely and gifted food blogger, Katie Goodman of GoodLife Eats. 

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Coconut Chicken Curry Soup from Katie Goodman of GoodLife Eats

Serves 4

Ingredients

Olive Oil

1/2 of a medium yellow onion, sliced thin

2 1/2 cups chicken broth

14 ounces unsweetened coconut milk

1 1/2 teaspoon curry powder

1 jalapeño, seeded, minced

3 chicken breasts, cut into bite sized chunks

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1 small red bell pepper, sliced thin

1/2 cup chopped green onion

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro, plus extra for garnish

1/2 cup shredded coconut

2 cups freshly cooked jasmine rice

Directions

Heat the olive oil in a medium sized soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the chicken to the oil, season lightly with salt and pepper. Sauté until cooked through and golden. Remove chicken and set aside. Sauté the onion, adding more oil if necessary, until tender.

Return the chicken to the pot with the onions. Add chicken broth, coconut milk, curry powder and jalapeno. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Add bell pepper, green onion, and cilantro and simmer an additional 3 minutes. Stir in lime juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Spoon rice into 4 bowls and top with a ladle or two of soup. Garnish with additional cilantro and a sprinkling of shredded coconut. Serve.

Notes from Janna 

 The leftovers are very good, so I always double the recipe. Also, this is one of those recipes where you can cut back on the meat if you're trying to limit your consumption for environmental, financial, ethical, or any other reasons. When I double the recipe I still only use 3 chicken breasts and it's still incredibly delicious!

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And just for kicks, here are some shots from our first visit to Longwood Gardens. *sigh*

Nope, we don't have a son I've never mentioned. That's our friends' little boy. Cute, eh?

Oh, and I'll be a great painter by that point, too, and I'll paint in my Longwood Garden-worthy garden.                      

And the bees in my garden will be friendly.

It can happen ...right?  :)