Thai Chicken Curry Soup with Coconut Milk

Tonight as I was trying to find ideas for dinner, I was thinking of ways to use leftovers and also appease my husband's request for something spicy because he has a cold.   We had some leftover shredded chicken from something a week ago, and I wanted to do something different with it.   So I thought maybe I would get some coconut milk and make a curried chicken soup with some veggies.  Here is how it went, and it turned out really really good!  You have to be kind of adventurous with this one, but I promise it is worth it for sure!

Thai Curried Chicken Soup

2 c shredded chicken, or some cooked chicken cut into small pieces
6 c chicken broth or stock
2-13 oz cans coconut milk
3 carrots, chopped into medium pieces
2 anaheim peppers, sliced into thin strips, about 1 inch long
1 medium onion, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 tbsp curry powder
2-3 pinches cayenne pepper (to taste)
1/4 c fish sauce (optional)
lime wedges, avocado slices, sliced scallions, and chili sauce for topping

In a wok or deep skillet, over high heat, cook carrot, onion, pepper and garlic in some olive oil, until onions and peppers are tender.  Set aside.  In a medium stock pot, place chicken, stock, and coconut milk, stir to combine over medium high heat.  When chicken begins to simmer, add veggies into pot, and stir.  Add fish sauce, and then your curry powder and cayenne (add a little cayenne, then taste, and add more if needed, it's pretty potent stuff).  Stir again, and simmer for about half an hour.

Serve with lime juice, avocado, and scallions, and hot sauce if you like.  Jeff used the Sriracha stuff, it's a Thai kind of sauce, and he said it was good, but pretty spicy.  Might want to taste it first to see if you like it.

**Note**  I don't particularly like things super spicy, so I didn't use Thai chili peppers. I thought this way I can add the cayenne slowly and get it to the right heat level without burning my taste buds too badly.  The anaheims are very mild and give the soup a nice flavor and color.  Feel free to use the Thai chilies if you like, and if your family is okay with some serious heat.   Fish sauce is optional, it's just something I see in a lot of Thai recipes and I wanted to try it out.  You can get it in the Asian foods section of your grocery store, near the soy sauce and chili sauce I mentioned.  You can hardly taste it, it just kind of adds a salty flavor rather than a fish flavor.  I recommend trying it, but if you don't want to, don't worry about it.