RED CURRY SOUP WITH POACHED SALMON

Post-holiday, I ’m feeling my way back into the kitchen, relieved to be grabbing vegetables as opposed to adulation and sugar. Winter cuisine, and its tough leaves and hard roots, is always grueling , but I ’ve set up that simple additions like fresh sauces, bracing gusto, or sweet and sour citrus can advance enough punch to make downtime dishes nearly as instigative as a tender stalk of asparagus or a sun- warmed summer tomato. 

This wintry haze strikes just the balance I strive for. Hardy( and healthy!) downtime flora float in a red curry broth suffused with gusto, lemongrass, and red chilis. The dish is outgunned with simple but incredibly tender poached salmon and is served over rice pates. The broth is made with a blend of ZICO Natural Coconut Water and funk stock, plus lots of aromatics and sauces. Coconut water lends just a hint of agreeableness and a depth that carries the racy, bright flavors beautifully, while the broth mellows everything and ties the haze together. 
 
Because it’s all-natural coconut water with no sugar added, I ’ve always decided for ZICO Natural Coconut Water when I need to hydrate or make a knockout smoothie, but I ’ve discovered that it’s a great option for cuisine as well. important lighter than coconut milk, ZICO Natural Coconut Water is brimming with flavor – indeed in a savory dish like this bone
 . 
 
Poached salmon can be a delicate process. Look for the fish to firm up slightly and the meat to turn opaque. The meat should slip off in big gobbets and look relatively wettish. Check constantly after 4 twinkles so as not to overcook. 

Red Curry Soup with Poached Salmon

A nourishing red curry soup with winter greens and delicate poached salmon.
Makes: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons coconut oil or a neutral oil like safflower
• 4 cloves garlic, smashed, peeled, and minced
• 2 small shallots, minced
• 2- inch segment of ginger, peeled and minced
• sea salt
• 3 tablespoons prepared red curry paste
• 1 small bok choy chopped
• 2 cups chopped greens such a kale or collards with any tough stems removed
• 1 16.9 oz bottle of ZICO Natural 100% Coconut Water
• 3 cups chicken or vegetable stock
• 1 stalk lemongrass
• 1 pound salmon fillet, pin bones and skin removed, cut into 1-inch thick strips, s
• cooked rice noodles for serving
• 1 red chili, sliced paper thin
• 1 green onion, sliced
• 2 tablespoons minced cilantro
• lime wedges

Instructions

1. Set a medium-sized pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the oil, followed by the garlic, shallot, and ginger. Sprinkle with sea salt. Cook, stirring often, 3 minutes. Add curry paste and cook 3 minutes more. Toss in bok choy, sauté 1 minute. Pour in coconut water and broth, and add lemongrass. Bring soup to a boil then turn heat down to a gentle simmer. Cook 15 - 20 minutes. Taste, and add sea salt as needed.
2. Stir greens into soup. Sprinkle salmon with a pinch of sea salt; gently place strips of salmon into the top of the soup, cover, and cook 4 - 7 minutes or until salmon has just cooked through. (It should be very moist and tender.)
3. Ladle broth and greens into bowls over rice noodles and top with salmon. Garnish with sliced chili, green onion, cilantro, and a wedge of lime. Serve immediately.