Coconut-Lime Chicken Soup

Thursday is Soup Day at my house.  There are few foods more comforting than a hot bowl of soup, be it brothy or creamy!  Living in a northern climate is all the incentive I need to cook up a weekly batch. 

To my great dismay, my Hubby just doesn't like soup.  I can make it thick, I can make it meaty.  I can call it stew, or "stewp," like Rachel Ray.  Doesn't really matter, he is not fooled.  And he will groan.  Loudly.

Truth is, we can't base our family's nutritional choices on Hubby.  In his perfect world, cheeseburgers would be served at every meal.

Besides, I have thick skin and have learned to live with his response.  The man's lack of gourmet taste in food is not an indicator of true love, thankfully!  Other people think my soups are wonderful; therefore I carry on with confidence.  I do, however, give it a break for summer.  Hubby mandates that no soup be produced in my kitchen from May through September!  A healthy marriage employs give and take, so I surrender for awhile.  If you stop by my blog regularly, you'll see that I'll switch "Soup Day" to "Salad Day," creating a whole gamut of fresh salads, including CousCous Lunch Salad, Wild Rice Wonder and even familiar but fabulous chicken salads.  (Needless to say, he's not the biggest fan of salad, either.)

Serving up some good bread or a meaty sandwich alongside the bowl does take the sting away from his experience.  But tonight he was out of town, so I had a friend over.  She likes soup.  Therefore, she is welcome here any Thursday!  Since it was a girl's night, I also fixed my own personal rendition of Caesar Salad.  It's bursting with a tangy, salty flavor - made even brighter with freshly squeezed lemon juice.  The croutons soak in the olive oil dressing, still slightly crunchy but soaked in pleasure just enough that you could practically eat the whole bowl yourself.  Maybe one day I'll share this very special, original recipe. 

So the question of the day is, what do you get when you cross carrots with fresh lime juice, a little leftover chicken and a splash of soy sauce?  (Oh, and don't forget the coconut milk!)  It takes only a few minutes...but the end result is memorable:  Coconut-Lime Chicken Soup. 

Those of you who are used to conventional flavors and the same recipes that mom made, don't knock it until you try it!  My rendition is, well...how does one describe soup this good?  It makes your mouth sing!  Even my Kiddo proclaims its wonders.  The flavor starts creamy, but instantly you can taste the delectable sharpness of the lime cutting through the chili powder, curry and salt.  This soup isn't overly spicy, in the hot sense, but you can certainly jazz it up if you are serious about your Thai cooking.

Coconut-Lime Chicken Soup

an original recipe by Kelly Jo Vanderstelt

1.  Boil for 8-10 minutes, until crisp tender:

• 2 1/2 Cups of Water
• 3-4 Carrots, peeled and chopped up (about 1 cup or more)

2.  Add the following ingredients and heat through:

• 1-2 Cups Chicken, cooked and chopped or shredded  (I use leftover rotisserie chicken, or other chicken that I had cooked already and set aside for soups or casseroles)
• 1 Can of Coconut Milk (13.5 fluid ounces)
• 1 Cup Spinach, (a big handful of fresh) washed and sliced into thin ribbons
• 1 small Lime, squeezed right over the pot (or use 1/4 cup from a bottle, not as good)
• 1 1/2 Tbs. Soy Sauce
• 1 Tsp. Better than Boullion - Chicken  (or use chicken broth in place of the 2 Cups of Water)
• 1 Tsp. Garlic Salt
• 1 Tsp. Chili Powder
• 1/2 Tsp. Curry Powder
• 1/2 Tsp. Citrus Pepper

Does it get any easier than that?  If that whole process takes you longer than 15 minutes, I'll come over to your house and whip it up myself.

Are you allowed to have this much of a party on a Thursday night?  My friend brought a loaf of soft, chewy bread: roasted red pepper and parmesan.  Wow!  I don't have the recipe for that...yet.