Thai Coconut Curry Soup (Chicken Khao Soi)

Ingredients

• 4 large dried New Mexico or guajillo chiles
• 2 medium shallots, halved
• 8 garlic cloves, peeled
• 1 2-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled, and sliced
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 Tablespoon ground coriander
• 1 Tablespoon ground tumeric
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• 1/2 spaghetti squash, seeds scraped out of the middle
• 2 Tablespoons coconut oil
• 2 14-ounce cans unsweetened coconut milk (or equivalent of homemade)
• 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth (plus 1-2 cups more, if needed)
• 1 1/2 pound skinless, boneless chicken thighs or breasts, halved lengthwise (to make two thin cutlets)
• 3 Tablespoons fish sauce
• 1 Tablespoon raw honey
• sea salt
• bean sprouts
• fresh cilantro
• lime wedges
• shredded carrots
• cashews

Instructions

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

2. 2

   Place the squash, cut-side down in a baking...: Place the squash, cut-side down in a baking pan. Add some water to cover the bottom of the pan. (Alternately you can place a whole, uncut squash on a rimmed baking sheet and save the other half of the squash for something later on.)

3. 3

   Bake for 25-40 minutes, or until the outside...: Bake for 25-40 minutes, or until the outside of the squash pierces easily with a butter knife and the inside is tender. Cooking time varies wildly depending on the size of your squash. (Increase baking time if you're cooking the squash whole.)

4. 4

   Meanwhile, make the curry paste. Place the dried...: Meanwhile, make the curry paste. Place the dried chiles in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Let them sit for 25-30 minutes or until softened.

5. 5

   Drain chiles, reserving the soaking liquid. Discard stems...: Drain chiles, reserving the soaking liquid. Discard stems and seeds. Place chiles in the bowl of a food processor or in your blender. Puree chiles as well as the remainder of the paste ingredients, adding 2 Tablespoons of soaking liquid (or more more, if necessary), until everything is smooth.

6. 6

   Heat oil in a large, heavy pot over...: Heat oil in a large, heavy pot over medium heat. Add all of the paste to the pot. (Yes, it's a lot of paste. I kind of freaked out the first time, but it ended up being alright in the end!) Stir paste constantly, until slightly darkened, about 4-6 minutes.

7. 7

   Add coconut milk and broth. Bring to a...: Add coconut milk and broth. Bring to a boil, then add the chicken to the pot. Reduce heat and simmer for 25-30 minutes until chicken is cooked through and tender.

8. 8

   Transfer chicken to a plate. Let it cool...: Transfer chicken to a plate. Let it cool slighty, the shred or chop the meat.

9. 9

   Your squash should be ready by now. Remove...: Your squash should be ready by now. Remove seeds (if you baked it whole), then scrape out the "noodles" with a fork.

10. 10

    Add desired amount of squash to the pot...: Add desired amount of squash to the pot of soup along with the shredded chicken, fish sauce, and honey.

11. 11

    Season with salt and taste, adjusting seasonings or...: Season with salt and taste, adjusting seasonings or honey if necessary. If the soup tastes too strong or too spicy, add more chicken broth to tone it down.

12. 12

    Divide soup among bowls and serve with garnishes.