A Comforting One-Pot Coconut Soup

By Jane Coxwell | January 31, 2020

There are two reasons we’re currently obsessed with all things coconut. First is the PURENESS Skincare Collection, our calming new cleanser and moisturizer that are powered by Coconut Water and Coconut Milk to help hydrate, balance and replenish skin’s natural moisture. Also, there’s this recipe by Jane Coxwell. Light but comforting, it’s a new weeknight favorite that’s getting us through the winter months.

Coconut Broth with Chicken & Mushrooms

Serves: 2

Full of goodness, this is a lovely, nourishing dish that’s perfect for cold weather. It’s also a one-pot meal, so it’s super quick and easy with little cleanup. Fish sauce is a beautiful ingredient and is worth finding. It’s used a lot in Thai cooking and adds a wonderful depth to simple dishes. I like to finish the soup with an herb salad, sliced chili and lime to brighten the whole thing.

Because it’s so simple, this recipe is very adaptable — if you want to make it more substantial, you could throw in some rice noodles, or add some eggplant or zucchini. It can also be made vegan quite easily: just use vegetable stock, omit the chicken and fish sauce, and add extra salt and lime for seasoning.

Ingredients

For the soup:

3.5 cups of chicken stock
2 cups of canned coconut milk
1.5 tbsp grated ginger
1 large clove of garlic, thinly sliced
3 sprigs of cilantro
7 oz of chicken, thinly sliced (I use leg because there’s more taste, but breast will work as well)
2 cups shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 tbsp fish sauce
Juice of ½ lime

For the garnish:

1 handful of sliced scallions
½ sliced red chili, seeds removed
Cilantro leaves
Wedge of lime

Instructions

  • In a large pot, place the stock, coconut, ginger, garlic, cilantro sprigs, mushrooms, and fish sauce and slowly bring to a boil. Turn the heat down and simmer it for about 10 minutes.

Tip: Don’t let the soup boil for long — it can make the coconut milk separate.

  • Add the chicken and simmer for another 2 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. Add the lime juice and check the seasoning. You may need to add some sea salt.

  • When you’re ready to eat, ladle the soup into bowls, top with the herbs and chili and serve with a wedge of lime.  

Meet Jane

Jane Coxwell is a chef, author and consultant, and has earned her reputation as one of the most sought-after private chefs with a style that’s as elegant as it is unpretentious.

Equally comfortable working over open fires on the beaches of Papua New Guinea as she is in the kitchens of the biggest names in fashion, media and entertainment, Jane has cooked her way around the world, cultivating an approach to food and travel that is uniquely her own.

Born in Zimbabwe and raised in South Africa, Jane was one of the youngest chefs ever appointed to run the kitchen of a Camper & Nicholsons yacht. At just 23, she joined Hall Wines in California’s Napa Valley as Executive Chef and Culinary Manager, where she cooked for prominent guests including Hillary Clinton. For the last near-decade, Jane has served as Diane von Furstenberg’s chef, both on Eos, the 305-foot sailing yacht she and Barry Diller own, and in New York and Connecticut.

Her experiences on and off Eos — ranging from meals in the villages of Southeast Asia to the vibrant open-air markets of the Italian Riviera — inspired her first book, Fresh, Happy, Tasty: An Adventure in 100 Recipes. Now based in New York City, Jane continues to develop food-and travel-centric content while working on her second book. She also consults for large events, including the creation of the first sustainable meal for the 2017 CFDA Awards.

Jane Coxwell

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