red curry

peanut soup

with Chicken

TOTAL TIME

45 MIN

Serves 6 to 8

I know it sounds nuts, but peanut butter goes as well with savory ingredients as sweet ones—if you’ve ever had chicken satay with peanut sauce at a Thai restaurant, you get my point. Still not convinced? Then try this soup, a West African classic mashed up with a few Thai flavors. You can buy pretty much all the ingredients at the supermarket; even the red curry paste is available at more and more grocers, as well as at Asian markets and online retailers like Amazon.

• 2 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into ¾-inch pieces
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 2 jalapeños, seeded and minced
• 2 tablespoons peeled and minced fresh ginger
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1½ tablespoons Thai red curry paste
• 2 plum tomatoes, finely chopped
• 1 cup smooth peanut butter
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 quart low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1½ teaspoons sriracha, plus more for serving
• Chopped roasted peanuts, for sprinkling
• Fresh cilantro, for sprinkling
• Lime wedges, for serving

In a large saucepan, heat the canola oil over medium heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and add it to the saucepan. Cook, stirring, until lightly browned but not cooked through, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken to a plate.

Add the onion, jalapeños, ginger, and garlic to the saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened and just starting to brown, about 8 minutes. Stir in the red curry paste and cook until the vegetables are coated, about 1 minute. Stir in the tomatoes, peanut butter, and sugar and cook over medium-low heat, stirring, until the peanut butter has melted. Whisk in the broth and soy sauce and bring to a boil.

Return the chicken to the saucepan and simmer over medium-low heat until the chicken is cooked through and the soup is hot, about 12 minutes. Stir in the lime juice and sriracha and season with salt and pepper.

Ladle the soup into bowls and sprinkle with chopped roasted peanuts and cilantro. Serve with lime wedges and sriracha.

DO IT AHEAD The peanut soup can be refrigerated in an airtight container overnight. Reheat in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until hot; add a bit of water if too thick.