Gonna make this one quick and easy. Just as soup should be. I mean, it's soup, let's keep the ingredient list and time commitment relatively low. I had a hankering for carrot chicken soup from Jennifer's Cafe after I mentioned it in My Decade in Food, so I came up with this super quick, super easy, super healthy rendition.
Ingredients
-3 large chicken breast
-1 can (14 oz) full-fat coconut milk
-1 large white onion, diced
-2 cloves garlic, crushed
-1 inch or so of ginger root, peeled and diced
-1large potato, peeled and cubed
-6 large carrots, peeled and quartered
-4 or so cups of chicken broth and/or water
-olive oil
-turmeric
-salt&pepper
Method
1. Ideally at least 6 hours before you plan on baking the chicken, salt and marinate in coconut milk (about 1/4 of the can). This will keep it tender and delicious.
2. Preheat oven to 375F. Place chicken in a greased baking dish, and be sure to pour in any coconut milk that hasn't soaked into the chicken. Bake for ~40 minutes, or until the interior temperature reaches 165F. Don't worry if the chicken cooks a few minutes too long, as you won't be able to notice minimal dryness once you shred it into the soup.
3. While the chicken is baking, heat a glug of olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Sweat onions, then add in garlic and ginger. Add salt, pepper, and turmeric to taste. After a few minutes, add in potatoes, then carrots. Sauté a few more minutes, then add in the remaining coconut milk and ~4 cups of chicken broth and/or water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cover and cook for ~20 minutes. Leave covered and let cool, then blend thoroughly with an immersion blender. Add salt to taste.
4. Once the chicken has cooled, shred by hand and add to soup. Serve with sliced avocado, crushed peanuts, and/or diced scallions.
Makes 4 servings.