Thai Chicken Soup (NH) Recipe

3 to 4 tablespoons peanut oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
Meat and reserved stock from 1 small cooked roaster chicken
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon hot or regular chili powder
1 (48-ounce) can chicken broth 0r 3 3/4 cups reserved chicken stock
3 ounces creamed coconut, unsweetened (not coconut milk in a can)
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (no substitutes)
2 tablespoons chunky peanut butter
1/2 cup finely chopped green onions
1 cup fine egg noodles, broken into pieces
1/2 cup finely ground peanuts

Heat the oil in a medium-size stockpot, and sauté the garlic until light golden. Add the chicken, turmeric, coriander, and chili powder. Stir-fry for 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from the pot, and set aside.
Pour the chicken broth into the pot, and heat to a simmer. Stir the coconut into the hot stock. Return the chicken and spices to the stockpot. Add the lime juice, peanut butter, and green onions. Simmer on low heat for 15 minutes. Add the noodles, cover, and simmer until they are tender. Do not boil. Serve in bowls sprinkled with the ground peanuts.

Yield: 6 servings

Tips From Our Test Kitchen:
Use a precooked chicken to save time. If you can’t find creamed coconut in the Asian section of your grocery store, blend 3 ounces of unsweetened coconut with about 1 to 2 teaspoons of milk. Purée until the consistency is paste-like.