Rainy late fall weather always brings on the cravings for this soup. Its beautiful warm curry spice, minced ginger and garlic, spicy jalapeno, smooth coconut milk, finely chopped sweet carrots and spinach combination just soothes right through to the bone. Serve this soup as is or serve it over basmati rice or better yet basmati rice cooked in coconut milk. To tame the heat a bit, serve with a dollop of cool yogurt or sour cream when serving. Enjoy!
Season the chicken pieces with a sprinkle of salt and pepper.
Heat oil in the 8-litre pot on medium-high. Add the chicken and brown to seal in the juices. Stir the chicken over the heat until all the chicken is seared. Remove the chicken from the pot and set aside.
Add the onion and carrots and cook for 2 minutes.
Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds.
Add the red pepper flakes, minced jalapeno, curry powder and minced ginger, stir.
Immediately stir in the broth, diced tomatoes and cooked chicken. Bring the soup to a boil then reduce the heat to a simmer. Simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat.
Scoop out about 1 ½ cups of the hot broth and set aside. (You will add this slowly to the roux you will make in the next couple of steps.)
Add the butter to the small stainless steel pot and melt over medium heat.
Sprinkle the flour into the small stainless steel pot of butter and whisk to combine.
Add the hot broth slowly to flour butter mixture (roux) while whisking to combine.
Put the pot back on medium heat and simmer for a couple of minutes to thicken. Stir it constantly so it doesn't burn.
Stir this thickened broth back into the soup and bring the soup back to a boil. Remove from heat.
Stir in the spinach and coconut milk.
Serve topped with cilantro as a soup or over cooked basmati rice. Add a dollop of yogurt or sour cream if desired.