Ingredients
- 2 ribs celery
- 2 carrots
- 1 leek
- 4 cloves garlic
- 8 oz chicken tenders or boneless, skinless chicken breast.
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1-2 Tbsp red curry paste
- 1 Tbsp ground turmeric
- 1 Ground black pepper to taste
- 4 shiitake or brown mushrooms
STEPS
1. Wash the celery and carrots and cut into slices. Trim the leek. (Use only the white and pale green portions.) Wash the leek thoroughly and cut into slices. Slice the garlic. Cut the chicken into -inch strips.
2. Put a large pot on the stove. Add the olive oil and heat over medium-high heat. Add the celery, carrots, leek and garlic. Stir-fry for about 5 minutes.
3. Mix 1 Tbsp red curry paste with a little water. Add to the vegetables. Taste and add more curry paste, if desired. Add the chicken strips and the turmeric. Season with black pepper, to taste.
4. Add enough water to barely cover all the ingredients. Cover with a lid and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are tender.
5. Meanwhile, trim the mushroom stems and cut the caps into slices; add to the pot for the last 5 minutes of cooking time.
6. Serve the soup in shallow bowls.
Preparation: 10 minutes • Cooking: 30 minutes • Yield: 2 servings
Per serving: Cal 280, Fat 9 g (Sat 1 g, P:S .87), Carb 22 g, Total sugars 7 g (Added 0 g), Fiber 5 g, Protein 30 g, Sodium 340 mg, Potassium 588 mg, Calcium 80 mg, Iron 4 mg.
Recipe abbreviations: Cal: calories, Sat: saturated fat, P:S: polyunsaturated fat to saturated fat ratio, Carb: carbohydrate, g: grams, mg: milligrams, mcg: micrograms, Tbsp: tablespoons, tsp: teaspoons, oz: ounce.
TIPS
➧ Red curry paste: Use curry paste, not powder. This dish should be spicy, so you can choose a “hot” variety. In general, Western curry products are milder than their Asian equivalents. Begin by adding 1 Tbsp and then have a quick taste. If the dish is not yet hot enough, add a little more and taste again. Check labels carefully because some brands of curry paste are high in sodium or contain added sugar. If possible, choose one that has no more than 350 mg sodium per Tbsp.
Recipe adapted from Pure & Simple: A Natural Food Way of Life(Harry N. Abrams, 2017), by Belgian culinary author Pascale Naessens. For more, see her website: Pure Pascale <purepascale.com>