Thai Green Curry with Chicken

I am craving comfort food like crazy these days.

January is always a tough month for me. And this year, well, as it probably is for most people…it’s feeling even harder. The pandemic, the state of our country, the unrest, the horrifying display in Washington last week…

It’s a lot. For all of us.

I love the “fresh start” mentality of a new year, but I find myself often feeling lonely and depressed this time of year (and now it’s certainly amplified by all of the aforementioned current issues), and I think I get caught up in the notion that time is going by way too fast. A whole year of my life is over. In the blink of an eye.

So! This year, I am being extra mindful of how I’m feeling. I’m trying to eat nourishing foods and exercising to keep my emotions and mental state healthy.

I’m making sure to give myself alone time to decompress. I’m focusing on realistic goals. I’m cutting back on work and trying to invest my time better (and I’m very aware of how privileged I am to be able to do that). I’m savoring these moments with my husband and kids. And just trying to stay positive in general!

Aren’t we all?

I often want comfort foods when I am feeling down, and dishes like this Thai green curry check off all the boxes. This is one of those dishes that just feels GOOD to eat. It’s FULL of flavor and nourishment, and you know that you’re doing something good for your body…and soul!

Now, I’m not claiming this to be authentic (I am not from Thailand, after all), but this is how I make my version of Thai curry at home. This is my homage to one of my favorite Thai dishes, one that comes only second to Drunken Noodles.

I’ve been making this for a few months now, tweaking it here and there to get it just right, and when I shared this in my Instagram stories a few weeks back, you guys all asked for the recipe.

Ask and you shall receive!

This recipe may seem intimidating when you see the long list of ingredients (some of which you likely don’t keep on hand) and the many steps, but I promise, it’s not difficult to make. It just takes some time. And the variety of ingredients is necessary to build that complex and nuanced flavor of curry dishes. The actual process, though? Not hard.

We start with cooking some chicken breast in a large skillet or pot. Now, I prefer chicken to other proteins in this dish, but I think it would work with just about anything. Pork, turkey, and even a white fish would work great.

You could also make this vegetarian by using tofu or tons of mushrooms. Mushrooms are very common in this dish traditionally, but I skip them because I try to avoid mushrooms whenever possible, hah.

Once the chicken is cooked through, we remove it and set it aside. To the same pot, where all those awesome chicken drippings have formed, we add alllll the flavorings for this heavenly dish. Garlic, ginger, onion, lemongrass, Thai chile, kaffir lime leaves, fish sauce, lime juice, coconut milk, and broth. Each one of these ingredients plays a crucial role in the resulting flavor and texture of the dish, so I highly recommend you include them. The recipe ingredient and process notes explain in more detail (along with resources for finding some of the less common ingredients)!

Once all of those flavors have had time to simmer together and create magic, we add the chicken back in along with some veggies for heft and health: snap peas, baby spinach, and tons of fresh herbs. I like a mix of cilantro and Thai basil (regular basil works if you can’t find Thai). We end up with a beautiful green sea of textures, flavors, and nourishment.

All that’s left to do is serve this up over rice or rice noodles and topped off with loads of fresh lime juice and more herbs. It’s the right thing to do. Trust me.

This sort of meal truly heals from within. Not only are the ingredients incredibly good for you and make you feel like you’re doing something good for you body, but they soothe the soul as well. Comforting and truly warming!

Ideal for January. Or any time you’re in need of a food hug.

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