Several years ago we lived very near a small yet quite outstanding Thai restaurant. It probably had no more than 8-10 tables, but the service was always friendly and the food was authentic. We visited frequently and some of my favorite date nights have been at this little Thai eatery. Now that we’ve moved we have yet to discover a place for Thai that we enjoy as much, so when I find myself craving Thai I often resort to making it myself.
Admittedly it’s not quite the same as eating at our old favorite restaurant, but there is still so much to love about this soup. Using store-bought curry paste keeps the preparation simple while the lemongrass and ginger elevates the flavor from decent to great. The black forbidden rice adds an exotic flair with its deep color and fragrance. And since black rice also happens to have the highest antioxidant level of all of the rices, you can feel extra good about serving heaping bowls of this soup for dinner.
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 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
- crushed peanuts
- extra cilantro
- lime wedges
- 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.
Mary Ann | The Beach House Kitchen says
Emily this soup sounds so flavorful and delicious! Your photos make me wish I had a big spoon and that bowl right in front of me! Thanks for sharing!
Emily says
Thanks so much for stopping by, Mary Ann!
Kathryn @ The Scratch Artist says
Sounds and looks absolutely perfect! Your photos are STUNNING. I love recreating restaurant dishes at home.
Emily says
Thanks, Kathryn! I think the most fun part of eating out is the inspiration we can bring back to our own kitchens afterwards. 🙂
Liora says
I never knew that about black rice! There is something so exotic and exciting about it 🙂 What a wonderful rice soup.
Emily says
Hi Liora! Black rice has such a uniqueness to it- I hope you can manage to find some!
danielle is rooting the sun says
emily i’m so beside you in your words here! while i’ve had the past pleasure of living close to excellent thai eateries, my current predicament (no thai food in sight) leaves me deep in the kitchen recreating the inspiration myself (sometimes still yearning for an authentic experience). it is one of my favorite cuisines. this soup is ever so beautiful and has my heart beating longingly. i love your usage of chicken thighs, and your broth is stellar looking. can’t wait to try this. ♥
Emily says
You are so kind, Danielle! Yes, it is so hard to settle for mediocre Thai food once you’ve tasted the good stuff, right? Thai is one of our favorites too- so colorful and bursting with flavor!
Lu | Super Nummy Yo! says
I recently moved away from my favorite tiny but awesomesauce Thai restaurant too! Sigh. On the bright side it’s fun to try cooking Thai at home 😛 I love black forbidden rice!
Emily says
Oh too bad we can’t try to cook up some good Thai food together, Lu!
nicole (thespicetrain.com) says
Wow, what a beautiful and delicious-sounding soup! I had never heard of black forbidden rice but I am very intrigued. Thanks so much for sharing, Emily! 🙂
Emily says
Hi Nicole! Thanks for stopping by! Hope you can find forbidden rice… it’s got such wonderful taste and it will look so good in your photos. 🙂
NachtSchade says
I tried this tonight. This was absolutely amazing! Thanks for the recipe.
Emily says
This brings such a smile to my face! Thank you for letting me know. Hope your weekend is wonderful!