Here’s a soup to add to your New Year reset. Hot and bright and satisfying, it’s what you need right now.

Asian Style Coconut Chicken and Soup

Serves 6

Ingredients:

• 1 can of organic coconut milk
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 cup of sliced carrots
• 1 cup of sliced celery
• 2 tablespoons fresh ginger, grated
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• red chile flakes
• 4 cups of chicken stock (homemade or good-quality boxed)
• 2 chicken breasts
• 2 cups Napa cabbage
• juice of one lime
• Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
• 4 ounces of softened rice noodles
• 2 tablespoons cilantro leaves

Method:

Heat a large stock pot over medium-high heat. Open the can of coconut milk, without shaking it, and scoop out a tablespoon of the thick coconut cream from the top. Melt the coconut cream in the pan and add the onions, carrots and celery. Saute the vegetables for about 3 minutes, until the vegetables look soft, and then add the ginger and garlic. Continue to cook, stirring frequently to prevent the ginger and garlic from burning. Add in the remaining coconut milk, fish sauce, chile flakes, chicken stock and chicken breasts. Stir to combine and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low for the soup to simmer for about 20 minutes.

Check the chicken breasts to make sure they have cooked all of the way through by cutting a small cut in the thickest part of the breast. If there is no pink in the center, remove the chicken from the soup and place on a cutting board. After the chicken has cooled slightly, shred into bite-sized pieces and add back into the soup. Add the Napa cabbage and stir in the lime juice, stirring until the cabbage wilts. Taste the soup for seasoning, adding in salt and freshly ground pepper if needed.

To serve, divide the softened rice noodles into 4 bowls, ladle the soup into the bowls and top with cilantro leaves.