Chicken Coconut Curry Soup With a Peach and Cream Cheese Stuffed Bread

One chilly morning I sat down and searched the internet far and wide to find a perfect coconut-based soup. After a few recipes, I found a chicken coconut curry soup that sounded perfect for a chilly night's dinner. I tweaked the recipe by adding in some extra chili ingredients (providing a perfect kick), and instead of dicing the vegetables, I sliced them to allow for more ingredients in each bite. With the slight fixes the recipe turned out amazing, but if spice is not your calling then swap out the heat and enjoy the flavor!

After securing the soup recipe, I realized that something was missing... bread. This cream cheese and peach stuffed bread (originally cranberry but I choose to swap out the cranberries for peaches) provides a nice escape from the heat of the soup by introducing your tastebuds to a cool refresher. The best part of this bread recipe is that since it's not too sweet it goes perfect with meals but also serves as a nice dessert. Enjoy a slice by the fireplace either as is or slightly toasted to provide more warmth!

Supplies

For the Soup:

(1) tablespoon of olive oil
(1) large onion, sliced (2 small onions are equivalent)
(2) red bell peppers, sliced
(4) cloves of garlic, minced
(1) 14 oz can of diced tomatoes
(1) 14 oz can of chickpeas
(4) cups of chicken stock
(2) 14 oz cans of full-fat coconut milk
(2) tablespoons of red curry paste
(2) teaspoons of fish sauce
(1) juice of a lime
(3) chicken breasts sliced thinly
(2) cups of chopped kale
(1) sliced Thai chili pepper
A dash of chili oil

For the dough:

(1) teaspoon of active dry yeast
(1/3 cup & 1 tablespoon) of sugar
(1 1/2) cups of warm milk
(2) large eggs
(1/2) cup of melted butter
(1/2) teaspoon of salt
(5) cups of flour

For the cream cheese filling:

(3/4) cup of cream cheese
(2) tablespoons of sugar
(1) large egg
(1) teaspoon of vanilla extract

For the peach filling:

(2) cups of frozen peaches
(1) tablespoon of lemon juice
(1/4) cup of sugar
(1/4) cup of cornstarch

For the egg wash:

(1) large egg, beaten

Utensils:

Kitchen aid
A few wooden/plastic spoons
A few pots and pans
Measuring cups
Pans
Mincer
rolling pin
brush

Prepare the Dough

Add warm milk, yeast, and 1 tablespoon of sugar to a bowl and mix together. After all the ingredients are thoroughly mixed and homogenous add 2 cups of flour and mix once again. Once everything is properly mixed together place plastic wrap over the bowl. Move the bowl into a warm room, cover the bowl with a blanket, and let the mixture sit for at least 30 minutes.

Mix the Dough

Once the dough has set, place the contents into the kitchen aid using the dough attachment. On top pour in eggs, salt, sugar, and melted butter. Mix all the ingredients together on medium speed until they are fairly incorporated. Next, add the remaining 3 cups of flour into the bowl and mix on medium speed for about 5 minutes. (The dough should only be a little sticky)

Let the Dough Rise

Shape the dough into a ball and place it back into a bowl recovering it with plastic wrap. Allow the dough to sit for at least 2 hours making the dough double in size.

Mix the Cream Cheese Filling

While the dough is resting get started on the cream cheese filling. In the kitchen aid bowl add cream cheese, sugar, egg, and vanilla extract and mix on medium speed with the paddle attachment. Once the mixture is fairly homogenous (clumps are ok) remove the mixture from the kitchen aid and set it to the side.

Create the Peach Filling

Now, take out a pan and set the stove to high. while the pan is heating up, slice the frozen peaches in half. Once the peaches are cut place them into the pan. On top of the peaches add lemon juice, sugar, and cornstarch stirring until the mixture thickens. Once the mixture has thickened take the pan off the stove and set it aside.

Set Up the Pan and Roll the Dough

Now, set aside a pan covered in aluminum foil. After the pan is ready, spread flour over your working surface and divide the dough in half. Place one-half of the dough onto the flour and roll it out, if the dough begins to stick to the counter or the rolling pin add more flour. Roll the dough out to about 12 inches x 18 inches.

Place the Fillings (cream Cheese and Peaches) Onto the Dough

Once the dough is rolled out, slice even strips around the dough leaving the top and bottom edge slightly longer than the rest. Next, pour half of the cream cheese filling along with half of the peach filling onto the dough and in the middle.

Fold the Dough

Fold the bottom edge up, slightly covering the filling. Then in a criss-cross pattern fold over each slice. Slightly apply pressure to each edge to ensure that the filling does not spill out. Once a few strips remain, fold the top portion over the filling before finishing the criss-cross pattern.

Apply the Egg Wash

Carefully transfer the bread to the pan and let it sit for another 30 minutes, the bread should rise ever so slightly. Once the 30 minutes is up, beat an egg and brush the egg wash over the bread.

Bake the Bread

Place the bread into the oven at 375 degrees F for about 35-40 minutes. Once the bread reaches a color that you're happy with cover the bread with aluminum foil, lightly pressing down on the sides, and let the bread continue cooking until the timer runs out. Once the bread is out, repeat steps 6-10 with the remaining ingredients.

Slice and Dice

Slice the onions and peppers into long pieces and set them to the side. Then, mince the garlic and set it to the side. Next, chop up the kale into 2 cups including the stems for a crunch. Finally, cut the 3 chicken breasts into long thin slices for thorough cooking.

Drain and Squeeze

Using a strainer, pour out the diced tomatoes and place them in a bowl. After rinsing off the strainer pour out the chickpeas and set them to the side. Then squeeze one lime and keep the juice in a small bowl.

Prepare the Soup Base and Seasonings

Next, prepare four cups of chicken stock by using a chicken base and mixing it into the water every two cups. Once the stock is ready put aside 2 tablespoons of red curry paste and 2 teaspoons of fish sauce.

Sauté

Place a large pot on medium heat and pour a tablespoon of olive oil. Saute the peppers and onions until the onions begin to have a transparent color. Once the onions lighten add the minced garlic to the pot and cook for 2 more minutes.

Add in the Chicken Broth and Ingredients

Next, add tomatoes, curry paste, chicken stock, and chickpeas to the pot. Mix everything together and bring it to a rapid simmer. Once the curry paste has dissolved add the coconut milk, fish sauce, and lime juice turning the heat slightly down. Allow the soup to cook for ten more minutes.

Add in the Coconut Milk With the Final Ingredients

Keep the soup at a simmer and pour in some chili oil and sliced Thai chili pepper, then place the chicken into the soup and allow it to cook for ten minutes. Once the chicken is cooked add kale and mix it in. Let the soup sit for 3 more minutes before serving.

Eat and Enjoy!

Plate and enjoy!