Coconut Chicken Thai Soup with Pineapple

This Coconut Chicken Thai Soup with Pineapple uses a whole chicken simmered in coconut milk, cinnamon, lemon grass and sage. Topped with chopped pineapple and kissed with a little heat from chili paste, this soup is layered with delicious, soothing flavors. I’ve included the video on how to make the chicken below.

Last week I posted my Thai Roasted Chicken in Coconut Milk, it’s my take on Jamie Oliver’s recipe for Chicken in Milk. Story is I didn’t have any milk on hand, but I did have some coconut milk. What happened next was a succulent, flavorful roasted chicken that was beyond tasty with an Asian twist.

This Coconut Chicken Thai Soup with Pineapple uses that chicken in this soup and the braising coconut milk mixture is also the base for this soup.

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This is some liquid comfort soup with unexpected flavors and the aroma is just heavenly.

After the chicken is done I remove it from the cooking liquid and set that aside. Let the chicken cool, take the skin off and shred the chicken meat (both white and dark) and  discard the bones.

Remove and discard the sage, cinnamon stick, lemon grass and any lemon peel in the coconut milk simmering liquid. We will use the rendered chicken fat and flour to thicken this soup.

Another can of coconut milk, chicken stock and some chili paste go in the mix along with some vegetables. I like to punctuate the flavors with a pop of sweet and sour pineapple chunks on top to finish it off . Serve with some more chopped cilantro and chili paste on the side.

If you like Thai food try my Crab Coconut Thai Soup,  Thai Yellow Curry Shrimp with Pineapple or my authentic Creamy Thai Red Curry with Chicken, too. Enjoy!

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Review

5 from 2 votes

Coconut Chicken Thai Soup with Pineapple

This Coconut Chicken Thai Soup with Pineapple uses a whole chicken simmered in coconut milk, cinnamon, lemon grass and sage. Kissed with a little heat from chili paste this soup is layered with soothing delicious flavors.

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time2 hrs 25 mins

Total Time2 hrs 25 mins

Course: Main, Soup

Cuisine: Thai

Servings: 6

Author: Kevin Is Cooking

Ingredients

• 5 1/2 lb whole chicken
• 2 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp fresh ground black pepper
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 3-13 oz cans coconut milk (separated)
• 1 stick cinnamon broken
• 1/4 cup fresh sage leaves , loosely packed
• 1 stalk lemon grass , trimmed and split lengthwise
• 1 lemon , zest only (See Note 2)
• 12 cloves of garlic , whole
• 1/4 cup flour
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 3 tbsp chili paste (Sambal Oelek)
• 2 large carrots , peeled and diced small
• 4 green onions , chopped 1 inch pieces (white and green parts)
• 1 cup diced pineapple (or 8oz can, drained)
• 1/4 cup cilantro leaves , chopped

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 375°F. Completely rinse chicken under cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Sprinkle the chicken all over with kosher salt and black pepper.
• Heat oil in a heavy based oven-proof pot (See Note 1) over medium high heat and brown the chicken all over. Be careful not to scorch the skin on bottom, you want to brown it. I constantly moved it around in the pot using tongs.
• Carefully remove chicken and set aside on a plate. Pour the out the excess fat and set aside to roast vegetables or discard. With spoon, scrape up bits of cooked chicken on bottom of pan and leave in pan. Return chicken to the pot, add 2 cans of the coconut milk, cinnamon stick, sage, lemon grass, lemon zest, garlic cloves and bake, covered, for 90 minutes.
• Remove lid and baste chicken with juices. Leave uncovered and bake for another 35 minutes.
• Remove from oven. Let stand for 10 minutes before removing the chicken. Remove and discard lemon grass and cinnamon stick from sauce. Shred chicken and set aside. Discard skin and bones.
• Bring coconut cooking liquid to a boil and whisk in the flour. Simmer for 5 minutes until thickened, whisking to avoid any lumps. Slowly add the other can of coconut milk, chicken stock and stir to combine.
• Add the chili paste, chopped carrots and green onions. Turn to low, cover and simmer 15 minutes.
• Add shredded chicken, pineapple and cilantro to the soup stock. Stir and cook for 5 minutes, uncovered. Serve immediately.

Notes

1. I use a Le Creuset Dutch oven that is OK for stove top and the oven. If you don't have an oven-proof skillet or pan to brown the chicken in, be sure to transfer to a casserole dish or Dutch oven after browning the chicken large enough to hold the chicken and other ingredients for the oven to bake. Note: As a general rule, the cooking time is 20 minutes per pound of meat plus an additional 15 minutes at 375ºF. Chicken weights vary, and I used a 5 1/2 lb chicken.
2. I use a vegetable peeler to cut large strips of the lemon rind, being careful not to get any of the white pith that is super bitter. Feel free to use zester if you like.