Thai Coconut Chicken Soup

You’ll love this fragrant, creamy bowl of healthfulness. Infused with lemongrass and lime leaves, this soup can be prepared in an hour on the stovetop or cooked slowly in a crockpot for half a day. Preparing this recipe in a slow cooker does enrich the flavour of the soup. Packed with B vitamins, vitamins A and C, iron, protein, copper and other essential pregnancy nutrients this soup will nourish you without making you feel uncomfortably full.

| Serves 6 |

Ingredients

3 lemongrass stalks, tough outer layers removed

3 cups organic chicken broth, store-bought or homemade

¼ cup fish sauce

1 (5cm) piece fresh galangal or ginger, peeled and thinly sliced

6 kaffir lime leaves, halved, or 6 strips lime zest with a vegetable peeler

1 shallot, thinly sliced

3 Thai bird chilies

450g boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into strips

100g shiitake mushrooms, stemmed, thinly sliced

1 can organic coconut milk

1 large carrot, finely chopped

3 tbsp fresh lime juice

¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro plus more for garnish

2 tbsp chopped Thai basil, plus more for garnish

1 scallion, thinly sliced

Method

Preheat a slow cooker.

On a cutting board, using the side of a chef’s knife, lightly smash lemongrass. Add the lemongrass, broth, fish sauce, galangal or ginger, lime leaves, shallot, chilies, chicken and mushrooms to the slow cooker. Cover and cook on high until chicken is cooked through, about 2.5 hours (or on low for 5 hours).

Add coconut milk and carrot, and cook on high for a further 30 minutes (or on low for 1 hour). Stir in lime juice, cilantro, basil and scallions. Top with cilantro and basil, and serve.