If you’re a fan of salmon but tend to overcook it in stove-top preparations, this dish is for you: The fish basically poaches in a flavorful broth ever so briefly, to a tender state. The soup is light-tasting yet filling, with fish sauce, curry paste, a touch of honey, lime juice, onion, mushrooms and bok choy all teaming up to deliver a flavor- and texture-balanced bowlful.
Serve with crusty bread for dunking.
Red Curry Salmon Chowder
4 servings (makes about 7 cups)
Adapted from a recipe at DeliciousLiving.com.
1 small or 1/2 medium red onion
5 ounces button mushrooms
4 cloves garlic
2 small bok choy
1 pound skinless salmon fillet, preferably center-cut (pin bones removed)
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 tablespoon Thai red curry paste
1 tablespoon ginger puree (paste)
One 14-ounce can low-fat coconut milk
1 1/2 cups no-salt-added vegetable broth (may substitute fish stock)
2 teaspoons fish sauce
2 teaspoons honey, or more as needed
1/2 cup loosely packed basil leaves
1/2 cup loosely packed cilantro leaves and tender stems
2 or 3 limes
Cut the red onion in half, then into very thin slices. Stem, then slice the mushrooms (to yield about 2 cups). Mince the garlic. Cut the bok choy crosswise into thin slices. Cut the salmon into bite-size chunks.
Melt the coconut oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and mushrooms; cook for about 5 minutes, stirring a few times, just until softened. Add the red curry paste, pureed ginger and garlic; cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly, then add the coconut milk, broth, 1 teaspoon of the fish sauce and the 2 teaspoons of honey. Increase the heat to medium-high; bring just to a boil, stirring, then add the bok choy and salmon. Reduce the heat to low; cover and cook for about 5 minutes or until the bok choy is tender and the salmon is just opaque. Taste, and add some or all the remaining fish sauce and/or more honey, as needed.
Stack the basil and cilantro, then cut them into ribbons/thin slices. Cut the limes into wedges.
