Creamy Thai Chicken pumpkin Soup

We know this recipe will not get the attention it deserves since it does sound a little weird and if you are new or not keen on spicy Thai like Meagan, you probably steer clear of anything with Thai even in the title. However, if you have gotten this far we know you are at least a little curious. We will tell you this soup is an absolute favorite of everyone in our household! It is the very first time we had used or bought rice vinegar (it’s next to the soy sauce and hoisin) and we were a little intimidated by all the steps it was going to take to make this creation so when it was done, we felt rather accomplished.  We were completely blown away at how rich and creamy this soup was. You could very easily add 2 cups of heavy cream to the broth and sub the rice for long rice noodles to have your own creamy thai chicken sauce.

Ingredients:

½ of a cooked sugar pumpkin (check out our how-to-cook fresh pumpkin recipe)

4 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast 

1 Large Yellow Onion Diced

3 Cloves Garlic Diced

1 Tablespoon Fresh Ginger Root Minced

½ Teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper Flakes 

3 Stalks Celery Trimmed and Diced

2 Carrots Peeled, Trimmed, and Diced

¼ Cup Orange Juice

¾ Cup Creamy Peanut Butter (we prefer to make up some PB2, the amount does not change)

4 Cups Chicken Broth

3 Tablespoons Rice Vinegar

½ Cup Fresh Cilantro Minced

½ Cup Heavy Cream 

1 Tablespoon Cornstarch

3 Green Onions Minced

½ Cup Roasted Peanuts Chopped

4 Cups Cooked Rice (jasmine, basmati or brown)

Directions:

1. Cook the chicken in coconut oil. Add the onion, garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes and cook for 2 minutes. 

2. Put the chicken in crock-pot. Add the celery, carrots, pumpkin, lemon juice, peanut butter, chicken broth, and 2 cups of water; stir well. Cover and cook on high for 3 hours. 

3. Stir in the rice vinegar and ¼ cup of cilantro. Mix the heavy cream and cornstarch together in a small bowl. Add to the soup. Turn the heat to high and let simmer for 10 minutes or until the soup thickens. 

4. To serve, put the rice in the bowl. Ladle the soup around the rice. Top with the remaining cilantro, green onion, and peanuts. You may also squeeze fresh lime for flavor. For those that do want an extra kick, we will add 1/8 of a Teaspoon of 4 Alarm Red Cayenne Pepper to give it that needed boost.