Thai Coconut Curry Basil Soup

If you love Thai food, like I do, you will most likely enjoy this easy to make soup. You could make this a noodle bowl simply by adding some of your favorite pasta noodles (pre-cooked) to the soup. My favorite noodle would be a wide variety.

Other additions might be 1/2-inch slices of Japanese eggplant, one of my favorite foods, any kind of mushroom, and/or celery, sliced on the diagonal.

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups traditional chicken bone stock (get the recipe here) 1 cup coconut milk
1 stalk lemongrass, peeled and sliced
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tbsp Thai red or yellow curry paste
2 cups diced cooked chicken or pork
1 medium carrot, peeled and grated or sliced thin
2 cups shredded fresh spinach
2 green onions, sliced diagonally
1/4 cup chopped fresh Thai basil

Directions:
1. In a medium saucepan, combine stock, coconut milk, lemongrass and garlic.
2. Add curry paste and mix well into stock/coconut misture
3. Cover and cook 10 minutes over medium-high heat.
4. Add cayenne pepper, chicken, carrot and spinach.
5. Cover and continue cooking 5 minutes.
6. Add green onions and Thai basil just before serving.
Serves 4 - 6 people.