Wednesday 8 January 2014

chicken laksa inspired soup

Leftovers.  As the kids get bigger and eat more, the leftovers become more and more scant.  Certainly, there is never enough leftovers from a chicken for a meal for 5, and on our budget I would really like a chicken to stretch to 2 meals! 
This is a proper filling soup recipe, so filling that even my husband keeps out of the fridge after a bowlful...

Ingredients:
fresh coriander, 1 bunch (leaves stripped, stalks chopped, KEEP THE STALKS!)
thumb sized picec of ginger, peeled and finely chopped
1 medium red chilli, chopped (I take out the seeds too)
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, peeled and finely chopped
1/2 block of creamed coconut (made up to packet instructions) or a tin of coconut milk
star anise, a couple
leftover chicken, picked from the carcass (freeze the leftover bones to make stock another time)
glass noodles or whatever you have to hand
a couple of limes
fish sauce
chicken stock (about 500ml)

1.  Heat a tablespoon of oil/ 10g of butter in a pan and add the onion, ginger, chilli and coriander stalks.  Leave to sweat over a low heat for 10-15 mins, remembering to stir, until softened (especially the onion)
2.  Add the garlic and cook for a minute.
3.  Add the leftover chicken, coconut, star anise, chicken stock, and a splodge of fish sauce, bring to the boil, turn down the heat and simmer for 10 mins.
4.  Add the glass noodles (or similar, whatever you find at the back of the cupboard!) and cook for another 5 mins
5. Add lime juice to taste and add the coriander leaves just before serving up...

Enjoy!