THAI COCONUT HOT AND SOUR SOUP

there are few things more luxurious to me then a night-in with nothing to do and a whole lot of thai take out. i live in thai town so i’m surrounded by amazing (and inexpensive!) thai restaurants which means i almost never try and re-create the dishes on my own because i know they just won’t compare. but, ivan and i made an exception for this soup and we didn’t regret it. based off of tom yum soup this one is creamy, spicy with the perfect balance of citrus. served with a pile of cilantro on top and a big spoonful of coconut sticky rice, it was perfect! – joanie

what you’ll need:
• 2 13 oz cans light coconut milk
• 1 32oz box of low sodium chicken broth
• 2 shallots thinly sliced
• 3 limes squeezed
•  1/2 a pound organic chicken breast tenders/cutlets (i find the small cuts to be more tender!)
• 2 cups mushrooms washed and sliced
• 3 teaspoons coconut sugar
• 1 bunch fresh cilantro
• 1 red jalapeño pepper thinly sliced (keep the seeds if you like it hot)
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• 2 teaspoons sea salt
• 3 stalks lemongrass peeled and chopped in half

also, we made this coconut sticky rice to serve along side and followed the recipe exactly.

• in a large pot bring the light coconut milk, chicken broth, shallots, lemon grass, red jalapeño pepper to a boil, add chicken breast and simmer for 15-20 minutes. salt to taste.

• once the chicken has cooked, remove from the pot and shred it and return it to the broth. add the lime juice, coconut sugar, fish sauce, mushrooms and cilantro. simmer for an additional 10 minutes ( you may need to adjust the amounts depending on how sour, sweet or spicy you prefer).

• serve hot with the coconut sticky rice and a big pile of chopped cilantro!

styling by: joanie cusack and ivan solis
photos by: ivan solis