One of the things I've really been getting into lately is freezer cooking.
Freezer Cooking is a Time-saving Lifesaver
We got a new puppy a few weeks ago and she's SUPER active around dinner time, which happens to be the same time I'm trying to work on homework with my kids. Dinner simply becomes stressful at that point!
Yet, with freezer cooking, I've already put several bags of meals into the freezer, so all I have to do is remove one, sometimes thaw it if needed, and cook it. Typically in a slow cooker, Instant Pot, or on the stove.
I REALLY like making freezer cooking meals where you don't even need to cook any ingredients first. I mean, I love to make double and triple batches of soups and stews when I do make those and then freeze half for later, but this other kind of freezer cooking just means dumping a bunch of ingredients into a bag, freezing, and then taking out when needed. You can get like 7-8 meals done in an hour – even more if you double the recipes.
Easy peasy.
Why I made an AIP Thai Chicken Soup
There's kind of a lack of these easy dump-and-go freezer cooking meals in the Autoimmune Paleo (AIP diet) world, and easy meal prep really makes SUCH a difference when being able to have the time and motivation to do a diet like this. So I've been coming up with all sorts of recipes to help – one of them being this AIP Thai Chicken Soup.
With the AIP Diet you cannot have nightshades, so that means the typical Thai soups with peppers and curry pastes are out. But this one gets a TON of flavor regardless, and it's one of my favorite soups right now. The flavors really are reminiscent of Thai soup, especially if you make this soup in the Instant Pot because it really concentrates the flavors quickly. Lemongrass, ginger, garlic – it's all there!
Watch the video below on specifics on how to prepare it both for dinner tonight and for how to freeze it for later or jump down to the recipe below!
What to Serve with the Soup
Some people just like to eat the soup by itself, but others, like me, tend to want some sort of bread-like thing with soup. I really love Domestic Man's AIP Flatbread with this soup – easy to make and tasty!
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One of my YouTube viewers mentioned that you could put sweet potato or kelp noodles into this as well to make it have a bit more bulk. Other ideas are zucchini noodles and the glass noodles made of sweet potatoes.
AIP Mini Freezer Meal Plan
I have a mini freezer meal plan where you can make 3 recipes – this Thai Chicken Soup, an AIP Sweet & Sour Meatloaf, and an AIP Cherry Balsamic Pot Roast all in one short meal prep session. Just throw all of the raw ingredients into bags and freeze! The meal plan comes complete with a shopping list and printable labels so your session will be a breeze.
You can get the AIP Mini Freezer Meal Plan in my Paleo Freebie Library – go HERE to get the password.
AIP Thai Chicken Soup Recipe
Here's the recipe along with instructions for cooking it on the stove, in the slow cooker, or in the Instant Pot!
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This autoimmune paleo-friendly Thai Chicken Soup is flavorful even without the nightshades! Cook it tonight for dinner OR freeze it for later. Your choice – both are super easy.
Ingredients
- 2 lb Boneless, Skinless Chicken Thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 Shallot or Small Yellow Onion, diced
- 2 tbs Garlic, minced
- 1 Lime, juiced and zested (or 1 tbs Lime Juice)
- 1 tbs Coconut Aminos
- 1 tbs Fish Sauce
- 1–2 cups Chicken Broth (use 1 cup for serving 4 people and 2 cups for 6 servings or if you want to stretch it a bit further)
- 1 tbs Honey
- 1 tsp Ground Ginger
- 3-inch piece of Lemongrass (or dried lemongrass)
- Not needed until time of cooking: 1 x 13.5 oz can Coconut Milk, 3 sliced Green Onions, 1/2 cup chopped Basil, 1/2 cup chopped Cilantro
Instructions
Directions for freezing:
Put all of the ingredients into a 1-gallon freezer bag. Massage lightly with your hands to mix the ingredients. Push all the air out of the bag, seal, label and freeze.
Directions for serving:
To serve, thaw and do one of the following:
STOVETOP: Dump the contents of the bag into a large saucepan and add the coconut milk. Bring to a boil and then lower the heat and simmer for about 7-9 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. Garnish with the green onions, basil, and cilantro.
INSTANT POT: Dump the contents of the bag into the Instant Pot (do NOT add the coconut milk yet). Close the lid, turn the valve to “Sealing” and cook on High Pressure on Manual for 5 minutes (10 if cooking from frozen). Quick release the pressure when finished and stir in the coconut milk. If you need the coconut milk to heat up a bit, turn the Instant Pot to “Sauté” and cook until desired temp. Garnish with the green onions, basil, and cilantro.
SLOW COOKER: Dump the contents of the bag into a slow cooker, add the coconut milk, and cook for 2-4 hours on low. Garnish with the green onions, basil, and cilantro.
Keywords: AIP, Paleo, autoimmune paleo, gluten-free, nightshade-free, freezer, meal prep, soup, dinner
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