Doc Chey's 563 Memorial Drive, Atlanta, 404-688-4238, www.doccheys.com. Also with locations in Morningside and Emory.
Q: Doc Chey’s Coconut Chicken Soup is great! It’s such a reasonable price, but the restaurants are a little far from Chamblee. The soup is a little thinner and seems healthier than most, but I’m afraid to see the nutritional values. The flavor is second to none. — Ryan Adams, Chamblee
A: We’ve done the nutritional count for this recipe at four servings, but at Doc Chey’s, you’ll receive a generous double portion. Chicken base is a concentrated substitute for chicken stock and can be found in the soup aisle of your grocery store. If you don’t have poached chicken breast on hand, add a raw chicken breast to the water in the first step, then remove it when straining the stock. Cut the cooked chicken into bite-size pieces and return to the soup. Rice vermicelli noodles are also called rice sticks and can be found at Asian markets or Your DeKalb Farmers Market. The cream of coconut makes for a sweet counterpoint to the fish sauce and spice.
Doc Chey’s Coconut Chicken Soup
4 cups water
1 (14-ounce) can cream of coconut
1 1/2 tablespoons chicken base
20 stalks cilantro
2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
1 stalk lemongrass, bottom half only, roughly chopped
1/4 wedge of lime
3 tablespoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 pinch red pepper flakes
3 cups softened rice vermicelli noodles
1 cup julienned red bell peppers
1 cup sliced green onions
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
1 cup poached chicken breast, diced
Chili oil
Lime wedges
Basil leaves
Julienned red bell peppers
Julienned green onions
In a large saucepan, combine water, cream of coconut, chicken base, cilantro, ginger, lemongrass and lime. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes. Strain and return to saucepan. Discard solids.
Add fish sauce, sugar and pepper flakes. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Add vermicelli, red bell peppers, green onions, mushrooms and chicken to hot stock and simmer until vegetables are slightly soft, about 10 minutes.
Ladle soup into 4 large soup bowls. Garnish with chili oil, lime wedge, basil, red bell peppers and green onions. Makes 4 servings.
Per serving: 864 calories (percent of calories from fat, 29), 19 grams protein, 135 grams carbohydrates, 2 grams fiber, 29 grams fat (17 grams saturated), 44 milligrams cholesterol, 138 milligrams sodium.
