Creamy Chicken and Mushroom Soup - Paleo

Eating healthily has never been more important in my life as it is now. Growing up in an Indian home, with curries and rotis and traditional ways of cooking vegetables, it never occurred to me that there could be other ways of cooking.

I guess this is what happens when you are culturally and racially segregated from others. The good news is that I took a subject called Home Economics when I started high school, and I found out that there were hundreds and if not thousands of delicious ways to prepare food. Still, at that time, the concept of "healthy" hadn't hit home. It was all about "diet" never about "healthy". I dropped Home Economics for Music, when the time came to pick our exam subjects. So, all education on food turned into a different kind - food for the soul.

Mushrooms, I discovered in 2011, is toxic to my body. It is something that my body doesn't like. After a great deal of detoxing and eventually seeking the path to healing with God, I can safely eat almost anything :-) Even real, filter coffee with caffeine in it! God is Good!

So recently in March 2015, I started a health journey which called for eating mainly the Paleo way. But whilst Paleo does allow for honey and maple syrup and other sweeteners, This way of eating is mostly a detox and it doesn't allow for any sugar or sugar substitutes. If you would like to follow my health journey, you can on this blog called "A Journey Called "Reboot""

Longing for that once creamy mushroom soup which was my favorite as an adult, I planned this recipe in my mind several times over with a substitute for cream and dairy, and imagined tasting it until I could no longer imagine it. I had to turn it into a reality!

This is what I did...

For the Ingredients:

• I had an incredibly large Portabello Mushroom, which I chopped up into tiny pieces. 
• I chopped up 1 Large Onion, finely
• I used 250g of chicken breast and chopped it up finely
• I took 2 cans of coconut milk (use brands that do not contain preservatives or bleaching agents. I used Jemz. Staffords is another brand that is clean - alternatively, make your own)
• Salt and freshly cracked black pepper to tase
• 1 teaspoon of finely crushed garlic
• 1 level tablespoon coconut oil
• 1 Tablespoon Tapioca Flour
• 3 Tablespoons cold water
• 3 Tablespoons finely chopped parsley or corriander

The Method was the easiest

In a saucepan, I heated up the coconut oil, then added the onion and cooked them until they had a golden brown tinge. I then added the chopped up chicken breast, mushrooms and garlic and I continued stirring until the onion, chicken and mushrooms were all mixed well.

Now, because chicken breasts cook very quickly, it only makes sense that this dish will be the quickest you will ever make.

I added the salt and black pepper in small quantities and then poured in the coconut milk. I brought this to a boil, and then lowered the heat to simmer.  I tasted the soup and felt that more salt and pepper was required, so I topped it up accordingly.

You will notice that the coconut milk does not thicken on its own. In order to have a soup with some body, mix 1 tablespoon of Tapioca Flour with 3 tablespoons of water and then pour it into the simmering soup. This will thicken but will not make it heavy in texture. At this point I added the coriander and turned off the heat.

When I served this dish, I garnished it with a little more coriander.

It brought back the taste of the good old days of enjoying this as my starter at most dinner evenings out. Absolutely delicious!

Creamy Chicken and Mushroom Soup

Let's recap

Ingredients

• 1 large Portabello Mushroom
• 1 Large Onion, finely chopped
• 250g of chicken breast chopped finely
• 2 cans of coconut milk (use brands that do not contain preservatives or bleaching agents. I used Jemz. Staffords is another brand that is clean - alternatively, make your own)
• Salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste
• 1 teaspoon of finely crushed garlic
• 1 level tablespoon coconut oil
• 1 Tablespoon Tapioca Flour
• 3 Tablespoons cold water
• 3 Tablespoons finely chopped parsley or coriander

Method
In a saucepan, heat up the coconut oil, then add the onion and cook them until they have a golden brown tinge. Add the chopped up chicken breasts, mushrooms and garlic and continue stirring until the onion, chicken and mushrooms were all mixed well.

Add the salt and black pepper in small quantities and then poured in the coconut milk. Bring this to a boil, and then lower the heat to simmer. Taste the soup and if more salt or pepper is required, top it up accordingly.

Mix 1 tablespoon of Tapioca Flour with 3 tablespoons of water and then pour it into the simmering soup. This will thicken but will not make it heavy in texture. At this point add the parsley / coriander and turn off the heat.

When serving, garnish with a little more parsley or coriander.

This quantity yields 4 servings.

A very healthy Bon Appetite to you!