Written by Dietician Sarah

Simple, easy and delicious…what more could you ask for!

It’s getting colder and there’s nothing better than a warm bowl of soup.  Soup is often thought of as an entrée or lunch rather than a main meal however you can make a hearty soup a dinner option as well.  This chicken soup is full of chunks of chicken, vegetables and lots of flavour! If you and the family like a bit more spice to your meals, feel free to add some chilli flakes to this as well.  It makes a decent amount so there’s bound to be leftovers for the next night’s dinner or lunches.  

This recipe is very easy to make dairy and gluten free.  Use your choice of dairy free spread in place of margarine, use gluten free flour in place of wheat flour and ensure stock, curry paste and sweet chilli sauce are gluten free.  

Ingredients:

• Oil for cooking (olive, canola, rice bran etc.)
• 2 chicken breasts
• 1 onion, diced
• 3 cloves of garlic, crushed
• 1 carrot, diced
• ½ a head of broccoli, cut into small florets
• 150g cauliflower, cut into small florets
• 1 cup of peas
• 100g butter
• 100g flour
• 1 litre salt reduced chicken stock
• 2 tablespoons Thai curry paste (yellow or green)
• 1 tablespoon sweet chilli sauce
• ½ tablespoon fish sauce
• 1x 400g can coconut cream
• 1 tablespoon coriander, finely chopped
• Juice of 1 lime (leave out if you don’t have a lime)
• Salt and pepper to season

Method:

• Pre heat oven to 180°.
• Heat a small amount of oil in a fry pan over a medium-high heat.  Pan fry chicken breast on both sides until brown and place in oven for 15 to 20 minutes until cooked.  
• Using the same frying pan, heat a small amount of oil over a medium heat and sauté onion and garlic for a few minutes until soft.  
• Bring a pot of salted water to the boil and add carrot, broccoli and cauliflower and cook for 2 minutes.  You want to quickly blanch these rather than boil them.  Drain and refresh with cold water.  Leave to the side until ready to add to soup.  
• Melt butter in a pot over a low to medium heat (to save on dishes, use the same pot that you cooked the vegetables in) and add the flour, stirring for about 5 minutes to make the roux for the soup.  
• Add the chicken stock slowly and whisk into the roux until smooth and there are no lumps.  
• Add the Thai curry paste, sweet chilli sauce and fish sauce and stir.  
• Add the coconut cream and stir
• Once the chicken is cooked, roughly chop it and add to the soup.  
• Add the vegetables including the peas and stir.  
• Season to taste with salt and pepper
• Add the chopped coriander and lime juice and stir.  

Serve with your choice of toasted or fresh bread and enjoy! 

Sarah xx