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Coconut and spinach chicken soup recipe

Coconut and spinach chicken soup recipe

7 ratings

Created by The Tesco Recipes team

This nourishing, low-fat chicken noodle soup is a real winter warmer! You'll need a whole chicken, cooked gently on the hob, plus plenty of spices and coconut milk, but the effort is totally worth it. Plus you'll have six portions to feed the troops or freeze for lunches at a later date. See method

Ingredients

  • 2 tsp cumin seeds
  • 2 tsp coriander seeds
  • 2 garlic cloves, peeled
  • 3cm piece fresh ginger, peeled
  • 30g pack fresh coriander, leaves picked, stalks finely chopped
  • 2 green chillies, deseeded, 1 halved and 1 finely sliced
  • 1 tbsp groundnut or vegetable oil
  • 1.5-1.9kg whole chicken, at room temperature
  • 2 chicken stock pots, made up to 1.25ltrs
  • 400g tin lighter coconut milk
  • 200g dried rice vermicelli noodles
  • 250g pack baby spinach, washed
  • 2 limes, 1 juiced, 1 cut into 6 wedges
Low in fat and high in protein

Each serving contains

  • Energy

    1685kj
    400kcal     20%

  • Fat

    11g 16%

  • Saturates

    5g 26%

  • Sugars

    3g 3%

  • Salt

    1.5g 25%

of the reference intake
Carbohydrate 31.7g Protein 42.3g Fibre 2g

Method

  1. Toast the cumin and coriander seeds in a dry frying pan over a low-medium heat for 1-2 mins until fragrant. Finely grind in a pestle and mortar.
  2. Put the shallots, garlic, ginger, coriander stalks and the halved chilli in a food processor with 70ml water and blitz until finely chopped.
  3. Heat the oil in a deep, lidded saucepan over a medium heat and brown the chicken all over for 5-7 mins, turning often, until golden all over. Transfer to a plate, then add the shallot mix and ground spices and fry for 3 mins, stirring regularly, before returning the chicken to the pan.
  4. Add the stock and coconut milk; bring to a simmer. Cover, reduce the heat to low, then cook for 1 hr 20 mins-1 hr 30 mins until the chicken is cooked through and the meat is coming away from the bones. Remove the chicken from the pan, and shred into large pieces; discard the skin and bones.
  5. Meanwhile, cook the noodles to pack instructions; drain and rinse with cold water. Put half the spinach and most of the coriander leaves in the food processor with a ladle of the chicken liquid. Blend to a vibrant green sauce. Stir into the pan along with the remaining spinach. Cook over a low heat for 2-3 mins until just wilted. Remove from the heat, then stir in the chicken and lime juice.
  6. Divide the noodles between bowls and ladle over the soup. Scatter with the remaining coriander and sliced chilli, and serve with the lime wedges.

Freezing and defrosting guidelines

Freeze without the noodles. In order to enjoy optimum flavour and quality, frozen items are best used within 3 months of their freezing date. For more tips on freezing and defrosting food, read our article Love Your Freezer.

See more Soup recipes

For top tips on protecting you and your family when preparing raw meat and poultry, visit Food Safety in the Home.

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