Chicken Curry Soup

With the cold, rainy weather plaguing Richmond in the last two weeks, one thing is for sure: it’s full on Soup Season. Seriously, I think Winter should be late November through December, and then Soup season can be January and February. Maybe even March. Anyway, my seasonal suggestions aside, I made a really awesome soup last night. I found this Chicken Curry Soup on Will Cook For Friends and instantly knew it was right up my alley. Spicy, brothy, no beans—yeah that hits all my checkmarks. My only gripe about the soup, and it’s a small one, is that it probably could have used a few more vegetables. I know, that doesn’t sound like me, but it did need just a little bit more, maybe a daikon or some root vegetable. I thought it was delicious, my husband did too, and I’m looking forward to having the leftovers again soon!

Ingredients

1 Tbsp olive oil

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 tsp. cumin

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. allspice

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

1 large yellow onion

1 serrano chile (optional)

5-6 cloves garlic, minced

2 TBSP curry powder

1/2 tsp. freshly grated ginger

1/4 cup honey

4 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

2 limes, juiced

Salt to taste

White or brown rice, for serving

The original recipe called for bone in chicken breasts, but I didn’t want to have to deal with shredding it off the bone, although I’m sure that brings more flavor. I didn’t feel like the chicken was lacking in any way, though. Start by trimming any excess fat off your chicken. In a small bowl, mix cumin, cinnamon, allspice and kosher salt, and sprinkle the mixture over the chicken, rubbing it in well. Heat your oil over medium heat and sear the chicken on each side, about 3-4 minutes a side. Then set it aside.

Add your onions and serrano into the pot and sauté for around 3 minutes. The original recipe didn’t call for serrano, but I wasn’t convinced the curry powder would bring enough heat. Well, the soup ended up pretty spicy (in a good way) so I would say if you’re not into that, leave out the serrano.

After about 3 minutes, add in the garlic, ginger and curry powder and mix well for about another minute before stirring in the honey and chicken broth. I use Swanson’s 100% fat free broth to make it even healthier. Put your chicken back in the broth and bring it to a boil, then turn the heat to low and simmer covered for about 30-40 minutes. If you use bone-in chicken it will need to go longer than breasts will to cook all the way through.

Once the chicken is done, pull it out and shred it, then return it to the pot along with your lime juice and cilantro. Taste it and salt it accordingly. If it’s not spicy enough, add in some cayenne pepper. If it’s too spicy, you can bring it down with some more honey or coconut milk. Serve it over a half-cup of rice. Happy Soup Season!