I love Thai curries! I eat them all of the time. I think that Southeast Asian food in general has an amazing command of the balance of the different taste types: salty, sweet, bitter, sour, and umami. I needed to make a soup for a social function recently and the idea of turning a curry sauce into a soup sounded fun. Maybe it’s centered around their use of Fish sauce.

You could add rice or rice noodles to this soup, but I chose potatoes because they would last better while sitting in a crock pot during the function. Potatoes are a common ingredient in Massaman curry so that’s why I used that style. In the end, this soup turned out to be wonderful! It’s light, with a hint of sweetness. The fragrance that the fresh lemongrass imparts is also great.

 

Massaman Chicken Curry Soup

2 Tbsp. – Light peanut oil (or other light oil like Canola)

1 lb – Boneless, skinless, chicken thighs

1 – Large onion

5 cloves – Fresh garlic

6 inch nob – Fresh lemongrass (optional)

1 1/2 Tbsp. – Massaman Curry Paste

2 Tbsp. – Raw sugar

1 – 2 Tbsp. – Fish sauce

3 – Russet potatoes, peeled and diced

2 – Large peppers (I used 1 green and 1 red)

5-6 cups – Chicken broth

16 oz – Coconut milk

1 cup – Fresh tree mushrooms (lower stems removed, larger mushrooms split in half)

1 Tbsp. – Tapioca starch (you can substitute corn starch)

1 – Large lime

1/2 cup – Toasted cashews (whole, split)

1/2 cup – Fresh cilantro (chopped)

Thai bird chilis to taste (optional)

Salt to taste

 

For anything like this, I believe in prepping everything first (miss en place). Slice the chicken into thin strips then dice (it works better if partially frozen). Cut the onion and peppers into thin 1 inch long slivers, mince the garlic. Pound the lemongrass with a kitchen mallet to release it’s juices then mince finely. Dice the potatoes in a fairly small dice. Clean and prep the mushrooms, cashews, and cilantro.

Preheat a large wok on high heat. Add the oil and heat until just smoking. Add the chicken and allow to fry for 5-8 minutes or until mostly cooked (but not browned), stirring every 2-3 minutes. Add the onion, garlic, and lemongrass, stir and continue sautéing until the onions are translucent (but nothing should be browned). Add the potatoes, sugar, and fish sauce, and curry paste. Stir and bring to a simmer (a sauce should begin to form) until the potatoes are about half cooked. Add the peppers and broth, bring to a simmer, then lower the heat and allow a low simmer for 10-15 minutes or until the potatoes are finished cooking.

Open the cans of coconut milk into a small bowl, add the tapioca starch and stir until well incorporated. Add coconut milk mixture to the soup. Stir well and bring to a low simmer. Once it comes to a simmer again it should begin to thicken. Add water as necessary to thin to desired consistency (it should be thin with just a hint of silkiness). Add mushrooms and the juice from the lime and allow to cook for 3-5 more minutes. Taste and add more salt or fish sauce as needed. Add chilies if you want a bit of kick (but beware, they can be very hot!).

Serve topped with cashews and cilantro.