When life is extra busy and you want something warm, flavorful and comforting on deck, this Green Curry Chicken totally fits the bill. It comes together in no time and it's easily as good as anything you would order from your local Thai place. Once you've made it a couple of times it becomes a real no-brainer and as long as you have the basic ingredients on hand it can be on the table sooner than if you had it delivered.

I like my curries to be slightly more stew-like, so I add a bunch of chopped hearty greens at the end to thicken it up a bit. Plus it’s a it's a great way to get more leafy greens into my family and I'm always trying to sneak more of those nutritional powerhouses into our diets.

I made this last night after a particularly long week where I wasn't around to do much cooking. I used the veggies I had on hand which included a few stalks of asparagus, some mushrooms, about 1/3 pound of green beans and a half a bunch of collards, but you can use whatever you have hanging around your kitchen. Other things that would be yummy include broccoli, zucchini, bell peppers or eggplant. The sautéed onion and carrot lend a nice sweetness as does the coconut aminos. Coconut aminos are a condiment similar to tamari or soy sauce and a great alternative if you are avoiding soy. They are gluten-free, non-GMO, certified organic and you can find them everywhere from Whole Foods to Trader Joes.

You can serve this over rice (which takes 10 minutes in an Instant Pot!) or, if you want to amp up your veggie intake even more, over cauliflower rice. Green curry is not spicy, so even kids like it. It's a real crowd pleaser!

Easy Green Curry Chicken

Yield: 4-6

Author: Lisa Levine

Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 20 MinTotal time: 35 Min

Ingredients

1 Tbs. coconut oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 medium to large carrots, cut into 1/2 chunks
1 clove of garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. ginger, minced or grated
2 tablespoons green curry paste (I like this one)
2 tsp of sugar-free fish sauce (I like this one and they have it at Trader Joes)
2 tablespoons of coconut aminos (tamari is also fine but I'd start with 1 tablespoon and then taste)
1 can full-fat coconut milk
1 cup chicken stock or bone broth
2 cups of assorted cut up veggies like green beans, asparagus, mushrooms, zucchini or broccoli.
1 lb of boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into cubes
1/2 a bunch of dark leafy greens like collards, chard, kale or spinach, cut into ribbons
salt & pepper to taste
lots of chopped basil and cilantro to garnish

Instructions

In a dutch oven or large pot with a lid, melt the coconut oil over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté for about 5 minutes, until translucent. Add carrots and stir well to combine. Turn heat to low and cover the pot to sweat/steam the carrots. After 5 minutes give it a stir and then put the lid on again for about 3 minutes. (I use this time to chop or prep any of the other veggies that still need prepping).
Add garlic and ginger and turn heat back to medium high. Stir for about a minute until they get fragrant and then add curry paste, fish sauce and coconut aminos and stir to combine. Add coconut milk and chicken stock and bring to a low boil.
Add the 2 cups of chopped veggies and the chicken and simmer another 5-7 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked.
Stir in the dark, leafy greens and cook another 1-2 minutes or until the greens have wilted. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Ladle into bowls on top of riced cauliflower (or regular white rice) and garnish with chopped basil and cilantro.