Thai Chicken and Coconut Soup

• FAST

Ingredients

1. One 13.5-ounce can unsweetened coconut milk
2. 1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons green curry paste
3. Four 2-inch strips of lime zest
4. 2 quarter-size pieces of fresh ginger, lightly crushed
5. 1/2 teaspoon sugar
6. 3 cups chicken stock or canned low-sodium broth
7. 2 medium skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
8. 3 tablespoons Asian fish sauce
9. 1/4 cup cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped
10. 6 basil leaves, coarsely chopped
11. 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

1. In a large saucepan, combine the coconut milk, curry paste, lime zest, ginger and sugar and bring to a simmer over moderate heat. Add the chicken stock, cover and simmer over moderately low heat for 8 minutes. Raise the heat to moderate and bring the soup to a boil. Add the chicken, fish sauce, 3 tablespoons of the cilantro and the basil. Stir and simmer until the chicken is cooked through, about 4 minutes. Discard the ginger and lime zest. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of cilantro and stir in the lime juice. Serve hot.