23 Dec 2015 18:26
Remember my claim that it's easy to make tasty soups w/o using Campbell's soup kits? Read on #cookingathome
An identical write-up with additional pictures of the ingredients can be found on my Tumblr - http://asylum-01.tumblr.com/post/135787868068/thai-chicken-coconut-soup
Thai Chicken Coconut Soup (shortcut recipe)
To prove that I wasn't lying when I claimed in a previous post there were plenty of recipes that are just as convenient as Campbell's soup kits, I found one to compare. This was actually the very first Google hit for "Thai chicken soup" and gave me really good results. The skill level is the same as a soup kit while giving you full control over the ingredients. The process is slightly more involved but not more complicated than chopping a couple of extra vegetables and frying some of the ingredients first.
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/thai-chicken-soup-recipe.html
You'll get about two-thirds more soup with this recipe than the soup kit, which translates to 4 meal-sized servings. Scale it up or down to meet your needs. Customise it however you like: use less fish sauce to lower the salt, substitute a red or yellow curry for a different flavour, throw in extra vegetables, decrease the coconut milk to reduce the fat, thicken it to make a sauce instead of soup, make it vegetarian, some people even add peanut butter. The possibilities are endless. In fact, I've included links to vegetarian recipes at the end.
I made this using reduced sodium broth with a full fat coconut milk and it was creamy and delicious. The flavour was better than the soup kit with a nice heat. Be sure to stir really well before serving; the first two bowls I ladled out were very spicy while the last two were mild.
IMPACT ON THE POCKETBOOK:
The soup kit already requires you to supply chicken breast, chicken broth, coconut milk, lime juice and cilantro. The recipe uses 3 times the chicken but I don't consider this an extra expense since I recommended using more chicken with the soup kit, and the recipe does have a larger yield. This recipe also uses a higher proportion of coconut milk than the soup kit (66% more), which means the entire can is used and not just two fifths. Bell peppers replace mushrooms as the fresh vegetable, so I'm disregarding this as an extra expense as well.
Of the remaining ingredients, some are things I keep around all the time, so I'll only cost out the portions used (oil, onion, garlic and rice noodles add up to $0.71). That leaves fish sauce and curry paste as items I have to buy specifically to make this soup. In total, I paid $3.19 in addition to the ingredients listed above. Compare this to the price of a soup kit at $3.99.
The recipe, as published, costs out to $14.03 in ingredients and yields about 2.5 L of soup. Scaled down to match the 1.5 L that the soup kit makes, the cost would be $8.42 as opposed to $11.21 for the soup kit with an equivalent amount of chicken. I've included a full cost breakdown at the end of this post.
Food Network recipe (as published) = $14.03
Food Network recipe (scaled to match soup kit) = $8.42
Campbell's Thai soup kit (as directed, with 160 g chicken) = $10.03
Campbell's Thai soup kit (with 270 g chicken) = $11.21
THE BRANDS THAT I USED:
Since I'm making a Thai dish, I decided to choose Thai brands of fish sauce and curry paste to get the most authentic flavours. The product must also be readily available to me at my local stores. I relied on blog reviews and message boards to help me decide.
FISH SAUCE: There's a wide range of quality and pricing but in general, the less ingredients on the label, the better: you basically want fish and salt. Stronger sauces hold up well to longer cooking times, while the milder sauces are better for dipping or adding at the very end. It's also best to match country of origin to the cuisine; for example: a Vietnamese fish sauce is very different from a Filipino one. I chose Cock Brand since it's a natural fish sauce (no additives or preservatives) and it's a mid-quality sauce that is good for cooking. A 200 mL bottle of Cock Brand fish sauce sells for $0.99 at my local Loblaws.
CURRY PASTE: Different brands of curry paste have varying levels of heat from "wimp friendly" to "burn your tongue off" so choose one that's appropriate for you. I chose Maesri brand because it's apparently the least salty and least spicy of two very popular brands. That does not mean this curry paste is mild; it's simply less spicy than the other one. As a bonus, it's a completely vegetarian product (contains no shrimp paste or fish sauce) and it's available in 4 oz cans as opposed to 14 oz tubs. A 4 oz (114 g) can of Maesri green curry paste costs $1.49 at my local T&T (there is approximately 6 Tbsp of paste in the can). I also picked up a 112 g jar of Thai Kitchen green curry paste, which I suspect is geared towards the North American palate, but have yet to use it. Curry paste freezes well if you can’t use it all up.
COCONUT MILK: At my local grocery stores, a 400 mL can of coconut milk can cost anywhere from $0.99 to $3.59. Aroy-D brand was on sale last week for $1.29 but is normally $2.29 a can at my local T&T. I have no experience with coconut milk and my internet research has been confusing but I did manage to get some tips:
-> For cooking purposes, the full fat products (20-29% fat) yield better results.
-> It's normal for coconut milk to separate like oil and water; shake the can well before opening or use the separated top layer as an oil to fry your spices.
-> Be aware that along with stabilisers and preservatives, many brands add emulsifiers to keep the coconut milk from separating. This is probably desired for desserts and drinks but unnecessary for cooking.
-> Stay away from "Lite" coconut milk because they reduce fat by adding extra water, emulsifiers and flavouring, which isn't good value for your money. If you want to reduce fat in your dish, use less coconut milk; leftover milk can be frozen.
RICE NOODLES: I buy noodles all the time but have absolutely no preference for brand. I honestly just buy whatever brand is on sale. Last week, I paid $3.00 for two 500 g bags that are normally $2.50 each. These noodles are divided into 50 g portions which makes them very convenient to use.
HELPFUL LINKS:
The recipe - http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/thai-chicken-soup-recipe.html
A quick run down of ingredients:
http://www.culinarylore.com/specialty-foods:can-i-get-a-good-premade-thai-curry-paste
http://thaifood.about.com/od/introtothaicooking/p/aboutfishsauce.htm
http://www.messyvegetariancook.com/2014/09/13/vegan-alternatives-to-fish-sauce-shrimp-paste-and-oyster-sauce-in-thai-cuisine/
Tips on buying Thai curry paste:
http://www.theroadtothegoodlife.com/2013/06/make-basic-pre-made-thai-ingredients.html
http://www.rachelcooksthai.com/thai-test-kitchen-brand-curry-paste-best/
How to choose a fish sauce. Note the country of origin and choose an appropriate sauce for the dishes you wish to prepare:
http://www.gourmetsleuth.com/ingredients/detail/fish-sauce
http://shesimmers.com/2012/07/thai-fish-sauce-taste-test.html
https://ourdailybrine.com/fish-sauce-taste-test/
Vegetarians can substitute soy sauce and shiitake for the umami, or make your own vegan version (note that I have not tried any of these):
http://www.gourmetsleuth.com/ingredients/detail/fish-sauce (scroll halfway down the page)
http://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-vegan-fish-sauce-130535
Vegetarian Thai coconut soup - three completely different and very customisable recipes (I have also not tried any of these):
http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/1120676/thai-coconut-and-veg-broth
http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/thai-curry-vegetable-soup
http://inspiralized.com/2014/07/01/vegan-lemongrass-thai-green-curry-soup-with-zucchini-noodles/
DETAILED COST BREAKDOWN:
Full Food Network recipe:
● $0.10 vegetable oil ($4.77/1.42L bottle)
● $0.25 onion ($2.00/3 lb bag)
● $0.06 garlic ($0.77/pkg of 3)
● $1.49 bell peppers ($2.98/pkg of 4)
● $3.18 chicken broth, 1.42L ($1.99/900mL carton)
● $4.88 chicken breast (1 lb, 454g)
● $0.63 cilantro ($1.25/bunch)
● $0.30 rice noodles ($1.50/500g pkg)
● $0.50 green curry paste ($1.49/4oz can)
● $0.15 fish sauce ($0.99/200mL bottle)
● $2.29 coconut milk (400mL can) **
● $0.20 lime
** 15 fl. oz. converts to 443 mL, the cans I purchase are 400 mL, so it's short by 43 mL. I see no reason to purchase and open a second 400 mL can for such a small amount; the recipe can handle a missing 10% coconut milk.
Campbell's Thai soup kit:
● $2.90 chicken breast (270g @ $4.88/lb)
● $1.99 Campbell’s chicken broth, 900mL
● $1.00 mushrooms ($1.99/227g pkg)
● $0.21 cilantro ($1.25/bunch)
● $3.99 soup kit
● $0.92 coconut milk ($2.29/400mL can)
● $0.20 lime
Thai Chicken Coconut Soup (shortcut recipe)
To prove that I wasn't lying when I claimed in a previous post there were plenty of recipes that are just as convenient as Campbell's soup kits, I found one to compare. This was actually the very first Google hit for "Thai chicken soup" and gave me really good results. The skill level is the same as a soup kit while giving you full control over the ingredients. The process is slightly more involved but not more complicated than chopping a couple of extra vegetables and frying some of the ingredients first.
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/thai-chicken-soup-recipe.html
You'll get about two-thirds more soup with this recipe than the soup kit, which translates to 4 meal-sized servings. Scale it up or down to meet your needs. Customise it however you like: use less fish sauce to lower the salt, substitute a red or yellow curry for a different flavour, throw in extra vegetables, decrease the coconut milk to reduce the fat, thicken it to make a sauce instead of soup, make it vegetarian, some people even add peanut butter. The possibilities are endless. In fact, I've included links to vegetarian recipes at the end.
I made this using reduced sodium broth with a full fat coconut milk and it was creamy and delicious. The flavour was better than the soup kit with a nice heat. Be sure to stir really well before serving; the first two bowls I ladled out were very spicy while the last two were mild.
IMPACT ON THE POCKETBOOK:
The soup kit already requires you to supply chicken breast, chicken broth, coconut milk, lime juice and cilantro. The recipe uses 3 times the chicken but I don't consider this an extra expense since I recommended using more chicken with the soup kit, and the recipe does have a larger yield. This recipe also uses a higher proportion of coconut milk than the soup kit (66% more), which means the entire can is used and not just two fifths. Bell peppers replace mushrooms as the fresh vegetable, so I'm disregarding this as an extra expense as well.
Of the remaining ingredients, some are things I keep around all the time, so I'll only cost out the portions used (oil, onion, garlic and rice noodles add up to $0.71). That leaves fish sauce and curry paste as items I have to buy specifically to make this soup. In total, I paid $3.19 in addition to the ingredients listed above. Compare this to the price of a soup kit at $3.99.
The recipe, as published, costs out to $14.03 in ingredients and yields about 2.5 L of soup. Scaled down to match the 1.5 L that the soup kit makes, the cost would be $8.42 as opposed to $11.21 for the soup kit with an equivalent amount of chicken. I've included a full cost breakdown at the end of this post.
Food Network recipe (as published) = $14.03
Food Network recipe (scaled to match soup kit) = $8.42
Campbell's Thai soup kit (as directed, with 160 g chicken) = $10.03
Campbell's Thai soup kit (with 270 g chicken) = $11.21
THE BRANDS THAT I USED:
Since I'm making a Thai dish, I decided to choose Thai brands of fish sauce and curry paste to get the most authentic flavours. The product must also be readily available to me at my local stores. I relied on blog reviews and message boards to help me decide.
FISH SAUCE: There's a wide range of quality and pricing but in general, the less ingredients on the label, the better: you basically want fish and salt. Stronger sauces hold up well to longer cooking times, while the milder sauces are better for dipping or adding at the very end. It's also best to match country of origin to the cuisine; for example: a Vietnamese fish sauce is very different from a Filipino one. I chose Cock Brand since it's a natural fish sauce (no additives or preservatives) and it's a mid-quality sauce that is good for cooking. A 200 mL bottle of Cock Brand fish sauce sells for $0.99 at my local Loblaws.
CURRY PASTE: Different brands of curry paste have varying levels of heat from "wimp friendly" to "burn your tongue off" so choose one that's appropriate for you. I chose Maesri brand because it's apparently the least salty and least spicy of two very popular brands. That does not mean this curry paste is mild; it's simply less spicy than the other one. As a bonus, it's a completely vegetarian product (contains no shrimp paste or fish sauce) and it's available in 4 oz cans as opposed to 14 oz tubs. A 4 oz (114 g) can of Maesri green curry paste costs $1.49 at my local T&T (there is approximately 6 Tbsp of paste in the can). I also picked up a 112 g jar of Thai Kitchen green curry paste, which I suspect is geared towards the North American palate, but have yet to use it. Curry paste freezes well if you can’t use it all up.
COCONUT MILK: At my local grocery stores, a 400 mL can of coconut milk can cost anywhere from $0.99 to $3.59. Aroy-D brand was on sale last week for $1.29 but is normally $2.29 a can at my local T&T. I have no experience with coconut milk and my internet research has been confusing but I did manage to get some tips:
-> For cooking purposes, the full fat products (20-29% fat) yield better results.
-> It's normal for coconut milk to separate like oil and water; shake the can well before opening or use the separated top layer as an oil to fry your spices.
-> Be aware that along with stabilisers and preservatives, many brands add emulsifiers to keep the coconut milk from separating. This is probably desired for desserts and drinks but unnecessary for cooking.
-> Stay away from "Lite" coconut milk because they reduce fat by adding extra water, emulsifiers and flavouring, which isn't good value for your money. If you want to reduce fat in your dish, use less coconut milk; leftover milk can be frozen.
RICE NOODLES: I buy noodles all the time but have absolutely no preference for brand. I honestly just buy whatever brand is on sale. Last week, I paid $3.00 for two 500 g bags that are normally $2.50 each. These noodles are divided into 50 g portions which makes them very convenient to use.
HELPFUL LINKS:
The recipe - http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/thai-chicken-soup-recipe.html
A quick run down of ingredients:
http://www.culinarylore.com/specialty-foods:can-i-get-a-good-premade-thai-curry-paste
http://thaifood.about.com/od/introtothaicooking/p/aboutfishsauce.htm
http://www.messyvegetariancook.com/2014/09/13/vegan-alternatives-to-fish-sauce-shrimp-paste-and-oyster-sauce-in-thai-cuisine/
Tips on buying Thai curry paste:
http://www.theroadtothegoodlife.com/2013/06/make-basic-pre-made-thai-ingredients.html
http://www.rachelcooksthai.com/thai-test-kitchen-brand-curry-paste-best/
How to choose a fish sauce. Note the country of origin and choose an appropriate sauce for the dishes you wish to prepare:
http://www.gourmetsleuth.com/ingredients/detail/fish-sauce
http://shesimmers.com/2012/07/thai-fish-sauce-taste-test.html
https://ourdailybrine.com/fish-sauce-taste-test/
Vegetarians can substitute soy sauce and shiitake for the umami, or make your own vegan version (note that I have not tried any of these):
http://www.gourmetsleuth.com/ingredients/detail/fish-sauce (scroll halfway down the page)
http://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-vegan-fish-sauce-130535
Vegetarian Thai coconut soup - three completely different and very customisable recipes (I have also not tried any of these):
http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/1120676/thai-coconut-and-veg-broth
http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/thai-curry-vegetable-soup
http://inspiralized.com/2014/07/01/vegan-lemongrass-thai-green-curry-soup-with-zucchini-noodles/
DETAILED COST BREAKDOWN:
Full Food Network recipe:
● $0.10 vegetable oil ($4.77/1.42L bottle)
● $0.25 onion ($2.00/3 lb bag)
● $0.06 garlic ($0.77/pkg of 3)
● $1.49 bell peppers ($2.98/pkg of 4)
● $3.18 chicken broth, 1.42L ($1.99/900mL carton)
● $4.88 chicken breast (1 lb, 454g)
● $0.63 cilantro ($1.25/bunch)
● $0.30 rice noodles ($1.50/500g pkg)
● $0.50 green curry paste ($1.49/4oz can)
● $0.15 fish sauce ($0.99/200mL bottle)
● $2.29 coconut milk (400mL can) **
● $0.20 lime
** 15 fl. oz. converts to 443 mL, the cans I purchase are 400 mL, so it's short by 43 mL. I see no reason to purchase and open a second 400 mL can for such a small amount; the recipe can handle a missing 10% coconut milk.
Campbell's Thai soup kit:
● $2.90 chicken breast (270g @ $4.88/lb)
● $1.99 Campbell’s chicken broth, 900mL
● $1.00 mushrooms ($1.99/227g pkg)
● $0.21 cilantro ($1.25/bunch)
● $3.99 soup kit
● $0.92 coconut milk ($2.29/400mL can)
● $0.20 lime
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