1 (15-ounce) can coconut milk, preferably full fat
2-3 teaspoons Thai red curry paste
2 teaspoons finely minced ginger
1 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 lemongrass stalk
4 scallions, white and light green parts separated, thinly sliced
1¼ pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
2 cups cooked Black Forbidden Rice
½ red pepper, small-diced
4-6 cups baby spinach
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
1 teaspoon fish sauce
To serve:
crushed peanuts
extra cilantro
lime wedges
Instructions
In a large pot, stir together the chicken broth, coconut milk, curry paste, ginger, and salt over medium heat until curry paste is well-blended.
Trim the top and very bottom off of the lemongrass, leaving only about 4-5 inches of stalk. Remove any damaged outer layers and lighlty bruise the stalk with the side of chef's knife. Cut into 2 pieces and add to the pot.
Add the tomatoes and scallion whites to the pot. Nestle chicken pieces into the soup, making sure that the chicken is completely covered by liquid. Bring soup to a simmer. Cover and continue to simmer on low heat until chicken is cooked through, about 20-30 minutes.
Remove chicken pieces and lemon grass. Discard lemon grass and allow the meat to cool slightly. Tear the chicken into bite size shreds with 2 forks (or use hands) and return chicken to the soup. Stir in cooked rice and red pepper and simmer for another 5 minutes. Add the spinach, scallion greens, cilantro, lime juice, and fish sauce and heat until spinach is just wilted. Serve with crushed peanuts, extra cilantro, and lime wedges.