Chicken Mulligatawny Soup

1. Combine apple, onion, celery stalks, carrot, jalapeno pepper, ginger, curry powder, garlic, garam masala, and red pepper flakes in a stockpot over medium-high heat. Add olive oil and saute until starting to soften, 3 to 5 minutes.

2. Pour chicken broth and tomatoes into the pot. Bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, add chicken breasts, and cover. Cook over medium heat until chicken is no longer pink in the center but still tender, about 15 minutes.

3. Shred the chicken in the pot. Stir in coconut milk and spinach. Remove soup from heat as soon as spinach begins to wilt, about 1 minute. Garnish with cilantro. Place 1/2 cup cooked rice in each serving bowl and ladle soup on top. Place a wedge of lime for squeezing into the soup on the side of each bowl.

Cook's Notes:

The better quality curry you use, the better the soup will taste.

Don't forget to wear gloves when you handle the jalapeno, as the juice can irritate bare hands. Be very careful not to touch your eyes or nose while you are still wearing your pepper-juice-covered gloves!

Use reduced-fat coconut milk if you prefer.

Rather than shredding the chicken in the pot, you can also shred it on a cutting board and add it back to the pot.