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2 cups chicken broth, or 284-mL can chicken broth and 1 cup water
400-mL can light or regular unsweetened coconut milk
1/4 cup very finely chopped or grated fresh ginger
1/2 tsp hot-red-chili-flakes, or 1 small hot red pepper, seeded and chopped
1 tbsp fish sauce, optional
1 lime
2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
2 to 3 large shiitake mushrooms, sliced
1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh coriander
2 green onions, sliced into 1/2-in. pieces
Combine broth and coconut milk in a large saucepan set over medium heat. Add ginger, chili flakes and fish sauce. Grate peel from lime and squeeze out juice. Stir peel and 1 tablespoon (15 mL) juice into soup. Cover and bring to a boil.
Meanwhile, slice chicken into bite-size strips. When soup is boiling, stir in chicken. Add sliced mushrooms. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until chicken is cooked, from 6 to 8 minutes. Taste and stir in more lime juice if needed, especially if not using fish sauce. Sprinkle with coriander and green onions. Soup will keep well, covered and refrigerated, for 1 day.
Calories 122, Protein 12.5g, Carbohydrates 7.1g, Fat 4.8g, Fibre 0.5g, Sodium 338mg.
Traditionally, fuel was not available for long simmering so oriental soups were cooked quickly, but flavour was not compromised. Here, coconut milk marries the shiitake mushrooms, lime and fresh ginger.