I absolutely love Thai food. It is by far my favorite of the cuisines of Southeast Asia, and the flavor combinations are amazing. One of my favorite Thai dishes is coconut soup, but I’ve never been able to find a good recipe for it…until now.

While browsing through “Joy of Cooking”, I came across a recipe for “Thai Chicken and Coconut Soup” (page 135, for those of you who have the book). I figured I’d give the recipe a shot, and sure enough, it was absolutely delicious and incredibly easy. Seriously, it’s deceptively simple. This soup went from ingredients in the cupboard to the stove and table in 20 minutes, and my family of four ate the entire pot and still asked for more.

Here’s what you’ll need:
3 cups chicken stock (preferably homemade, but I used Swanson)
2 2/3 cups unsweetened coconut milk (about two cans)
2 small Thai peppers or 3 jalapeno peppers, sliced
3 tablespoons fish sauce
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (about half a lime)
Chopped cilantro for garnish

Start by boiling the chicken stock and the coconut milk together in a large soup pot. After it boils, reduce the heat to medium-low and add the peppers, fish sauce, ginger, and salt (I left out the extra salt, but you can do whatever you like). Let that simmer for ten minutes, and then add the chicken and the lime juice. Allow the soup to simmer until the chicken is fully cooked, which will take about 5-10 minutes, depending on how thinly you sliced your chicken. After the soup is ready, dole it out into the soup bowls and add a bit of fresh cilantro to the top.

Ready to serve and eat!