2cupschicken, uncooked, cut into bite-sized pieces *or see Note 1 below for using cooked chicken
For the base soup:
1teaspoonbutter, or ghee
1/4cupcelery, finely diced
1 1/4cupscarrot, diced
1/2cuponion, finely diced
1teaspoonginger paste, or 1/8 tsp ginger powder or 1/2 tsp fresh ginger grated
1TablespoonIndian curry paste, such as Madras, or 1 tsp curry powder or *see Note 2 below options
4cupschicken broth or stock
3/4cupapple, peeled and shredded
1/4cupbasmati rice
To finish the soup:
1/4cupcilantro, fresh, chopped
2/3cupcoconut milk
Salt and freshly ground pepper
For garnish:
Additional cilantro, chopped
Drizzle of coconut milk, if desired
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Instructions
Heat the butter in a large pot on the stovetop over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook, stirring, until cooked through. Remove from pot to a bowl and set aside.
Heat another tsp of butter in the same soup pot, over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot and celery and saute, stirring until onions are softened, about 3-4 minutes.
Add ginger and curry paste and cook, stirring, for about 1 minute. Add chicken broth, shredded apple and rice. Return the cooked chicken to the pot and stir in.
Bring soup to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and allow to simmer for about 25 minutes, or until the rice is cooked and the carrots are tender (taste test the carrots, to be sure).
Stir in the cilantro and coconut milk and stir/warm for a few more minutes. Taste soup and add salt and pepper, as needed (You'll probably need some). If you feel you'd like a bit more curry, stir in a touch more of the curry paste now, as well.
Serve warm, garnished with additional chopped cilantro and a drizzle of coconut milk, if you like.
Notes
You can also start with leftover cooked chicken or chicken from a store-bought rotisserie chicken. Simply skip the cooking of the chicken in the recipe instructions.
I love Patak's Madras curry paste. If you only have curry powder on hand, use about 1 tsp of an Indian-style curry powder. Alternately, make your own curry mix by mixing together 1/2 tsp ground coriander, 1/4 tsp cumin, 1/8 tsp turmeric and a small pinch of cayenne (if you want a touch of heat).
Leftover soup will thicken as it sits in the fridge. You can thin with additional chicken broth or just enjoy it as more of a stew.Be sure to read the “Ingredient and Cook's Notes" (above the recipe card!), where I share more detailed tips, variations and substitution suggestions for this recipe!