Low Sodium Thai Chicken Broccoli Soup
I grew up on the West Coast and was introduced to Asian Cuisines at a fairly early age. My mom liked to learn how to cook other cuisines. In California and Washington State, that meant Latin and Asian Cuisines. Mom even took Chinese cooking classes when we lived outside of Seattle. I had great friends that were Filipino and Korean and I was always up to try new things. I found out I loved all sorts of Asian soups because of their hot and sour flavor profiles. This low sodium Thai Chicken Broccoli Soup fits that bill.
Easy to Prepare and Full of Flavor
This soup is also one of the recipes feature in my new cookbook: The Easy Low-Sodium Diet Plan & Cookbook on sale now. It is a sweet and spicy soup that is a Thai takeout staple. Thai is a cuisine with dishes that are traditionally known for attention to balanced flavors (sour, sweet, salty, bitter, and spicy). You can create this heart healthy version at home for a fraction of the sodium – and cost – with this easy and delicious.
Don’t let the name “Thai” intimidate you. Thai food derives many of it’s flavors through easy to find items in the produce section of most stores: lemongrass stalks, red chilies, and ginger root. Coconut milk is also fairly common these days. Thai Chili paste is found in most hot sauce aisles. You can substitute with your favorite low sodium hot sauce. I have a list of the best low sodium hot sauce here. I also “beef up” this soup with Jasmine rice and make this soup my entree as well.
The Recipe for Low Sodium Thai Chicken Broccoli Soup
Low Sodium Thai Chicken Broccoli Soup
Ingredients
- 12 oz Chicken Breasts - Boneless, Skin & Fat Removed I also like to use Chicken Thighs instead
- 1 1/2 cups Chicken Broth - No salt added
- 1 cup Coconut Milk canned
- 1 cup Mushrooms chopped
- 2 cups Broccoli Florets
- 5 slices Fresh Ginger Root peeled
- 1 - 2 whole Red Chili Peppers sliced - based on heat desired
- 1 stalk Lemon Grass cut in half and smashed
- 4 Green Onions sliced - white and green separated
- 1 tsp Thai Chili Paste add based on desired heat
- 1/4 cup Cilantro roughly chopped
- 1/4 cup Basil roughly chopped
- 1/2 tsp White Pepper
- 1 Lemon sliced
Instructions
- Place the chicken breasts in a small saucepan. Cover the chicken completely with water and place on the stove over medium high heat. Bring the water to 180 degrees F - just before the water starts to bubble. Poach the chicken until it reaches 165 degrees F.
- While the chicken is poaching, in a medium saucepan over medium high heat, add the coconut milk, mushroom, broccoli, ginger, chili peppers, lemongrass, and the whites of the green onions and bring to a simmer.
- Add the chili paste and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Cool the chicken slightly and cut into 1 inch cubes. Add the cubed chicken to the soup.
- Remove the lemongrass, ginger slices, and chili peppers with a slotted spoon and discard.
- Add the cilantro, basil, and white pepper. Serve and garnish with lemon slices and green onion slices.
- Save any leftover soup in an air tight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.
Christopher, the recipe sounds delicious. I love Thai flavored soups. I wanted to let you know about another salt free Thai seasoning option. The Spice House offers a Thai Red Curry Powder that has no salt added. You make up the red curry paste yourself, using as much or as little as you want. It’s nice and spicy too. Here’s the URL to the product: https://www.thespicehouse.com/thai-red-curry-powder-nam-prik-krung-kaeng-ped