Coconut Chicken Soup

Say goodbye to 2021 and welcome New Year 2022 with this delicious coconut chicken soup 椰子雞, originated from Hainan, China. Very easy to make once you manage to open fresh coconuts!

The light, fragrant and naturally sweet taste of coconut water goes perfect with tender chicken.

This soup makes a refreshing, heartwarming hot pot base too. To get the richest coconut flavor, it is best to prepare the soup base with both coconut water and coconut flesh. You can then cook hot pot ingredients in it and add more coconut water when needed!

Enjoy and have a fantastic, delicious New Year!

*As requested, here’s where to find the Clay Pot Hot Pot Casserole I used.

Ingredients:

1.2 lbs. (545g) chicken thigs

2 fresh (young) coconuts

24 fl. oz (710ml) bottled coconut water (or feel free to open more coconuts )

4 ginger slices

4 dried jujube dates

1 tbsp Goji berry

Optional:

Abalone

Enoki mushroom

Other vegetables suitable for hot pot

Dipping Sauce:

Sand Ginger 沙姜 (Best substitute is galangal 南姜. Use regular ginger if that’s the only kind you can find)

Bird eye chilies 小米辣 （Use red finger chilies if you’d like it mild spicy）

Cilantro

Garlic gloves

Limes

2 tbsp soy sauce (suggested per serving. Depends on how much spices you put, better adjust to taste)

Instructions:

1.     Clean and soak the chicken for at least one hour to rid the blood. Change water a few times in between. You will see water becomes clearer each time. Cut in smaller pieces if necessary.

2.     Shave off the white husk of slanted top of the young coconut using a bread knife (a knife with larger tooth) to expose the brown coconut shell. Then use the sharp tip of the back end of a heavy, sturdy knife to whack in the hard coconut shell and crack it open.

3.     Pour out coconut juice in the soup pot. Scoop out coconut meat and chop into pieces before placing in the soup pot.

4.     Put the chicken in the soup pot, add ginger slices and dried jujube dates. Pour in more coconut water to submerge the chicken. Bring the soup to boil over high heat then simmer over low heat for 15 minutes. Add dried goji berry after boiling.

5.     Prepare the dipping sauce: Grind peeled ginger and garlic into paste. Mince chilies and cilantro. Put everything in a bowl, then season with soy sauce and lime juice to taste.

6.     Enjoy the fragrant coconut chicken soup without additional add-ons/ vegetables first. Then add more coconut water for a second round where you can add more hot pot related items. I put abalone and enoki mushrooms this time. All so yummy after cooking in the sweet coconut water and dipping in the spiced sauce!