Do you need a holiday timeout? When we are in the eye of the storm, aka the lull between Thanksgiving and December celebrations, it helps to step off the conveyor belt of planning, cooking, baking and entertaining. Take a break and fix something easy, healthy, and decidedly not holiday-inspired. Make a fragrant warming curry and call it a culinary break.
I use the term “curry” loosely since this recipe is hardly authentic. An authentic curry consists of a mountain of whole spices and aromatics, carefully and lovingly toasted, ground, sautéed and coaxed to create a potent paste that forms the base of a stew, which simmers for an ample amount of time to infuse its flavor. (I highly recommend doing this, by the way, but suggest you wait until after the holidays.)
This yellow curry rendition gets its name thanks to a generous shortcut dump of curry powder into the soup, which, in the category of quick meals, does the trick. It’s a healthy soup, brimming with vegetables and thickened with coconut milk, and it’s a one-pot wonder, prepared in about 30 minutes. During a month of roasts, bakes, sauces, and icings, this soup is a spicy and refreshing hiatus, guaranteed to warm and restore before you get back to the business of planning and making that big holiday dinner.
Curried Chicken Stew
Active Time: About 35 minutes Total Time: About 35 minutes- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 to 1 1/4 pounds chicken breast or thighs, cut into bite-size pieces
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 large yellow onion, chopped
- 1 large carrot, sliced 1/4-inch thick
- 1 medium red bell pepper, seeded, chopped
- 1 poblano pepper, seeded and chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced or pushed through a press
- 1 tablespoon finely grated peeled fresh ginger
- 1 tablespoon curry powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 (28-ounce) can Italian plum tomatoes with juice
- 1 (15-ounce) can coconut milk (not light)
- 2 cups coarsely chopped curly green kale, Tuscan kale, or spinach leaves (tough stems removed)
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves, plus more for garnish
- 1 red or green jalapeño pepper, thinly sliced
Add 1 tablespoon oil and the onion to the same pot. Sauté over medium heat until the onion softens, about 2 minutes. Add the carrot and peppers and sauté until the carrot brightens in color and the peppers begin to soften, about 3 minutes more. Add the garlic and ginger and sauté until fragrant, 15 to 30 seconds. Add the curry powder, cumin, and coriander, stirring to coat the vegetables and lightly toast the spices for about 15 seconds. Pour in the tomatoes, coconut milk, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Partially cover the pot and simmer over medium-low until the vegetables are tender, 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally and breaking up the tomatoes with a wooden spoon.
Return the chicken to the pot and stir in the kale or spinach. Continue to simmer until the chicken is thoroughly cooked and the leaves wilt, about 5 minutes more. Stir in the 1/4 cup cilantro and taste for seasoning.
Ladle the curry into bowls. Garnish with additional cilantro and the jalapeño slices. Serve with basmati rice.
