Chicken Soup with Coconut Cream & Lemon Grass by Nici Wickes

Ingredients

1 400 ml can coconut cream
1 cup chicken or vegetable stock (make your own or try to find a salt reduced one)
2 cups water
2 stalks lemon grass, smashed with a rolling pin but left whole
2 cm piece fresh ginger, smashed with a rolling pin
3 kaffir lime leaves, thinly sliced
500 g skinned and boned chicken breasts, sliced into thin strips
200 g small button mushrooms
2 medium tomatoes, cut into wedges
1 large red chilli, de-seeded and finely chopped (add more if you like it hot)
¼ cup lime juice
2 tablespoons fish sauce
2 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander

Directions

Place the coconut cream, stock, water, lemon grass, ginger and kaffir lime leaves into a large saucepan. Bring to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes. If desired strain the mixture and remove the lemon grass, kaffir lime and ginger. I leave them in for the remaining cooking time but do let your guests know that they’re not expected to each these bits – they’re for flavour only.

To this fragrant broth, add the chicken, tomatoes, mushrooms and chilli to the saucepan. Simmer for a further 10 minutes or until the chicken is just cooked. Add the lime juice and fish sauce.

Ladle into bowls and garnish with the coriander.

Serves: 4