Ingredients
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1/2 of yellow onion thinly sliced
2 cloves of garlic chopped
1 red jalapeno pepper sliced, or 1-3 Thai chiles, halved
3-¼-inch slices galangal or ginger
1 to 1 ½ teaspoons lemongrass and turmeric paste
2 teaspoons Thai red curry paste
4 cups of Chicken Broth
4 cups unsweetened full-fat coconut cream from a can, or full-fat unsweetened coconut milk
2 medium chicken breasts cut into bite-sized pieces (or Daring plant-based chicken-1 package)
8 ounces shitake mushroom caps sliced (stems removed)
1-3 tablespoons coconut sugar (or light brown sugar)
1 ½ – 2 tablespoons fish sauce, plus more to taste (or vegan fish sauce)
2-3 tablespoons fresh lime juice (1-1 ½ limes squeezed)
2-3 green onions sliced thin
fresh cilantro chopped, for garnish
Instructions
In a medium pot, heat the coconut oil over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic onions jalapeno or chile, galangal or ginger, lemongrass, and red curry paste and cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes, or until onions are softened. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes.
Strain out the aromatics (garlic, onions, lemongrass, and ginger) and discard. Add coconut cream or milk, chicken breast (or tofu or shrimp), and mushrooms. Simmer until chicken breast pieces are just cooked through, then add fish sauce, coconut aminos (or coconut sugar), and lime juice, plus more of each to taste.
Cook for 2 minutes, then ladle into serving bowls and top with sliced green onions and fresh cilantro.
Notes
Be sure to use coconut cream or coconut milk. Coco Lopez, cream of coconut, and coconut creamer are not the same as coconut cream/coconut milk and will not work in this recipe.
To use shrimp, simply stir in 1 pound of raw shrimp instead of chicken. Simmer until just cooked through, pink, and no longer translucent.
Make it Whole30: Use compliant chicken broth. Use 2 tablespoons coconut aminos instead of coconut sugar. Use Red Boat fish sauce – this is the only fish sauce I’ve found to be compliant.
Make it Vegan/Vegetarian: Use vegetable stock, preferably an Asian variety, or use a vegan/vegetarian chicken stock/broth. Use a 1-pound block of firm or extra firm tofu (regular or silken) cut into bite-sized cubes, or use plant-based chicken, cooking according to instructions and adding at the end. For vegan, use soy sauce (to taste) instead of fish sauce, or vegan fish sauce.