Thai-style chicken, shitake and Tenderstem with noodles and coconut broth

This Thai-style chicken, shitake and Tenderstem with noodles and coconut broth is a truly delicious dish suitable for anyone keen on healthy eating. Keep the salt content in check by using a lower salt stock or a homemade stock (no salt added) and go easy on the fish sauce. It’s a real boost for your five-a-day.

Ingredients (serve 4 to 6)

1½ tbsp groundnut oil

6 shallots, peeled and sliced

4 cloves garlic, sliced

100g shitake mushrooms, sliced

600g butternut squash, deseeded, peeled and cut into cubes

1 tsp ground turmeric

1 or 2 tbsp Thai red curry paste (depending on strength of paste)

400ml tinned coconut milk

250ml chicken stock

350g chicken breast fillet, cut into chunks

200g Tenderstem, halved horizontally

½ to 1 tsp soft light brown sugar

Juice of ½ lime

2 tsp fish sauce, or to taste

400g egg noodles

2 spring onions, chopped on the diagonal

1 medium red chilli, halved, deseeded and cut into shreds

2 tbsp fresh coriander

Wedges of lime

Method

Put the oil into a large saucepan and fry the shallots, garlic, mushrooms and butternut squash until they are golden – it will take about three minutes.

Add the turmeric and curry paste. Stir around and cook for a minute until the spices become fragrant.  Add the coconut milk and the stock and bring to a simmer.

Cook for 10 minutes (the squash should feel quite soft) then add the chicken and Tenderstem broccoli and cook for another five minutes. The squash should be completely tender and the chicken cooked through.

You can add more stock or water if you would like it to be ‘soupier’. Season with the sugar, lime and fish sauce and adjust to your taste – you may want to add more lime or even a little more sugar. You want a balance of hot, sour, salty and sweet.

Cook the noodles according to the instructions on the packet. Once cooked, divide the noodles between four or six bowls, spoon the chicken over them, and top with the spring onion, chilli and coriander. Offer wedges of lime to serve.

Recipe courtesy of tenderstem.co.uk