Thai Coconut Soup

Thai-inspired soups always seem so perfect to me in the "shoulder" season in late Fall, where Summer is still fresh in your mind but the early mornings and late nights are feeling like winter. The coconut milk in them is like a nod to summer but their heartiness says, winter is coming. Enjoy this one, definitely a favorite in this household!

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons coconut, avocado or sesame oil
• 1 shallot, minced
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 1-inch piece ginger, peeled, finely chopped
• 1 large carrot, peeled and grated or very thinly sliced
• 1 jalapeño, thinly sliced (leave seeds for more heat, remove seeds for less heat)
• 1 cup stemmed and sliced shiitake mushrooms
• 1 quart low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 14-ounce can coconut milk (not reduced fat)
• 2 cups thinly sliced sugar snap peas
• 2 rotisserie chicken breasts, shredded (option to double the mushrooms above or use shelled edamame instead)
• Zest of one lime
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce (such as nam pla or nuoc nam)
• Kosher salt
• Fresh cilantro, chopped (for serving)
• Lime wedges (for serving)
• Sriracha or your favorite hot chili sauce (for serving)

Instructions

1. Heat oil in a large heavy pot over medium-high heat.
2. Cook shallot, garlic, and ginger, stirring frequently, until softened, about 4 minutes.
3. Add carrot, jalapeño, and mushrooms and cook until softened, about 3 minutes.
4. Add broth, coconut milk, and 1 tablespoon of the fish sauce.
5. Bring to a boil, reduce heat. Simmer for 5 minutes.
6. Add sugar snap peas, simmer for another 5 minutes.
7. Add cooked chicken or shelled edamame and simmer for another 5 minutes
8. Add lime zest and second tablespoon of fish sauce to soup if desired.
9. Top with cilantro, hot sauce and serve with lime wedges.