Shredded Chicken Citrus Soup with Coconut Milk

Shredded Chicken Citrus Soup with Coconut Milk
Recipe by Invictus Member Michael Hathaway

This recipe is for a pressure cooker (Instant Pot), but a slow cooker works as well. If you are unfamiliar with this amazing piece of kitchen equipment, now’s the time to introduce yourself and test out what it can do. 

Instant Pots are pressure cookers that can make CrockPot-size meals in 20-30 minutes instead of the 4-8 hours it would take to make the same meal in the CrockPot. Plus, they have additional settings and uses like: pressure cooker, slow cooker, rice cooker, steamer, sauté pan, and yogurt maker. They are a lifesaver and they make prepping healthy food so easy and they don’t sound like they might blow up the house like your grandma’s did back in the day.

Here’s where you can get one of your own!

Shredded Chicken Citrus Soup with Coconut Milk

This is one of my favorites – combines Mexican spice flavors with Thai Style and a Citrus Punch! If – for some unfathomable reason – you don’t gobble all this up right away, it freezes well so you can always pack up some single-serve portions for a rainy day.

Ingredients

• 2.5-3 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs (breasts ok if you prefer)
• 1 T Olive Oil/ghee
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 medium bell pepper, any color; diced
• 2 small jalapenos, seeds and membranes removed and finely diced
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 T ground cumin
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• 1 T chili powder
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 2 tsp salt, plus more to taste
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 1 14-ounce can full fat coconut milk 
• Juice of 2-3 limes
• ½-1 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• Fresh cilantro, lime wedges, avocado, Greek yogurt for garnish, optional

Directions

1. Select ‘Saute’ function on your Instant Pot.
2. Add oil. When the oil is melted, add onion, bell pepper, and jalapeno.
3. Saute 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onion and peppers start to soften.
4. Add garlic, spices, and about half your cilantro and cook an additional 30 seconds.
5. Press ‘Cancel’. Add chicken and chicken broth.
6. Lock the lid into place. Turn the vent valve to ‘Sealing’ position.
7. Select the ‘Manual’ or ‘High Pressure’ setting and set cook time to 20 minutes.
8. When cooking time is up, allow pressure to naturally release. Approx. 20 min.
9. Shred chicken in the pot. Add coconut milk and lime juice. Stir to combine. Taste and season with additional salt, pepper, and lime juice as needed. Close the lid and allow it to warm again for another 5-7 minutes.
10. Serve. Garnish with fresh cilantro, lime wedge, Greek yogurt (If you want).

If you are using a CrockPot: Just throw everything in the pot and cook for 7-8 hours on the low temperature setting. Then, complete steps 8 and 9 and heat on the high temperature setting for 15 minutes. 

Enjoy and please share your favorite recipes for us all to enjoy as well!