To anyone who knows me, it is clear that I have an affinity for Thai food. My hubby and I shied away from it for a while. We were introduced to it by Phad Thai lovers. Not that we have anything against Phad Thai…it’s just not the most impressive Thai dish (in my humble opinion).

We kept trying it over the years and, I have to say, it has become a favorite of mine! I’m just not sure that there is a dish I don’t like. Now it is one of our favorite date night destinations (when it comes to food).

However, Thai food in general is pretty tricky to duplicate at home. I have a bazillion dishes pinned that I just don’t make simply because it requires unique ingredients that I don’t keep stocked in my house (maybe you do…maybe you’re cooler than me).

One particular summer evening, however, I had quite the hankering for a coconut curry flavoring. Knowing that my hubby probably wouldn’t be a fan of driving across town to pick it up after work, I decided to just go for it.

This recipe is based on several recipes that I combined, simply based off what I had on hand.

Note: This might be picture overload, but that’s who I roll…so roll with me, ok? 😉

To start, heat up some olive oil in a wok.  Add the ginger and garlic and cook until it becomes fragrant. Mmmm…

Cut your veggies according to your preference. I prefer them in long slices, but my kids would rather they be in bite size pieces. This was our happy medium.

Add in the remainder of your veggies and saute until soft, about five minutes on my cooktop.

While that is cooking, I prepare my “chicken broth”. You can of course use a store bought one, it is just easier to keep my Better Than Bouillon on hand and make it as needed.

Leftover rotisserie is my favorite in soups. This is what I had leftover from dinner a couple nights ago, so I just decided to use this. Of course, if you don’t happen to have rotisserie in your house, you could cut up a chicken breast or shred it or even skip the meat all together and make a vegetarian version (it is equally delicious, I just add more veggies to maintain consistency).

Once I have added the chicken to the wok, I season it with salt and pepper.

We buy our red curry sauce from Trader Joes and we have been really happy with it. You can adjust the spice in your soup by adding more or less of this stuff. Sometimes I add a little more and just give the kids an extra cup of milk at the dinner table. Now that they know they like it they don’t question it 🙂

Add the sugar…

And soy sauce (gluten free if needed)…

Mix in the coconut milk and broth. Bring it to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer for 10-15 minutes.

Fresh cilantro totally makes this recipe (along with many other things). But seriously, don’t skip it. Mmmm…

Once you mix in that cilantro, it is ready to serve!!! I love it over brown rice with a little lime squeezed into it. Sooo delish!

Coconut Curry Soup

Ingredients:
2 Tbs olive oil
1 Tbs garlic, minced
1 knob ginger, minced
1/2 red bell pepper, sliced
1/2 green bell pepper, sliced
1/2 sweet onion, sliced
6 mushrooms, sliced
handful snap peas, cut in 3rds
leftover rotisserie chicken, in thin pieces
3 tsp red curry sauce (more or less to control spice)
1 Tbs sugar
3 tbs soy sauce
1 cup coconut milk
3 cups chicken broth
fresh cilantro
salt and pepper
lime, squeezed (optional)

Directions:
In a wok, add olive oil, ginger, and garlic until fragrant. Then add in the remainder of veggies. Saute until soft, about 5 minutes. Add in chicken. Season with salt and pepper. Add red curry, sugar, and soy sauce. Mix well. Stir in coconut milk and broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for 10-15 minutes. Stir in fresh cilantro and serve over brown rice. Squeeze in some fresh lime, if preferred.

Now let me  be honest for a moment here…I kind of cringed when I added “kid friendly” to the title. What my kid will eat is not necessarily what your kid will eat and vice versa. And yet, I kept it just to make it clear that you can adjust the amount of spice in this recipe to suit your family. You could also adjust the veggies to your family’s tastes if you wish.

Is this something you think you might try? It is seriously one of our family favorites now (not to mention what’s for dinner tonight). It was a regular all summer long and now has also become a fall staple. I hope you enjoy it too!