Thai Chicken Coconut Soup

4 cups chicken broth

3 Tb fish sauce

1 Tb brown sugar

1 lb chicken breasts

salt and pepper

1 Tb oil

2 Tb grated fresh ginger

3-4 tsp red curry paste (I used 3 and it was a little spicy, I wouldn't use more unless you love spice)

1 small head bok choy, greens sliced thin and stalks chopped medium (keep separate, you'll use at different times)

2- 14 oz can light coconut milk

8 oz sliced white mushrooms

3 Tb lime juice

1/3 cup cilantro leaves

1. Bring broth, fish sauce and brown sugar to a boil, covered, in a large sauce pan and set aside.

2. Meanwhile, pat chicken dry with paper towels, then season with salt and pepper. Heat oil in large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add chicken and cook until lightly browned on both sides, about 5 minutes. Transfer chicken to plate.

3. Add ginger, curry paste and 1/2 tsp salt to fat left in Dutch oven and cook over medium heat until fragrant, about 1 minute.

4. Turn heat to low and stir in hot broth mixture, scraping up any browned bits. Add bok choy stalks and browned chicken. Cook, covered, until chicken is cooked through and no longer pink in center, about 10 minutes. Remove chicken and set aside.

5. Stir in coconut milk and mushrooms. Increase heat to medium-high and cook until mushrooms soften slightly, about 5 minutes.

6. While soup is simmering, shred chicken into bite sized pieces. Stir in bok choy greens and cook until wilted, about 1 minute. Off heat, stir in shredded chicken and lime juice. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle bowls with cilantro leaves before serving.

I served it with Indian bread. The recipe is from The Best 30 - Minute Recipe. This book is THE BEST. Greg and I have basically loved everything we've made from it and everything IS really fast and easy to make. It's the best. I highly recommend it if you're looking for something new. It's got a nice variety of meals (soups, salad, casseroles, pasta, stir fry) and a range beyond that (chinese, italian, mexican, thai). It's great. Ah, I just looked through it and this is where I got my steak tips! I'll add what it says below.