Curried Coconut Chicken Soup in Your Crockpot

This soup is incredible.  Seriously.  A sweet, savory, warm, filling, packed-with-good-ingredients, winter delight.  I could easily see vegetable broth, sturdier vegetables (cauliflower, potato or cabbage perhaps?) +/- some extra firm tofu making this a meat free but still delicious meal for my vegetarian friends!

Ingredients:
1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast cut into cubes
1 carrot, chopped
2 medium onions, chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp minced gingerroot
1 tbsp curry powder
4 cups chicken broth
1 tsp kosher salt
3 large stalks lemongrass
1 can (~14 oz) coconut milk
2 tbsp creamy peanut butter
2 tsp soy sauce
2 tsp hot pepper sauce, such as Sriracha (I omit this completely, because I'm a weany.)
1 tsp light brown sugar
1/4 c. coarsely chopped cilantro leaves

Directions:
1. Add oil in a large deep skillet and saute the chicken until lightly browned.  Add to slow cooker.
2. Add the onions, carrot, and bell pepper and saute until almost tender, about 3 minutes.
3. Stir in garlic, ginger, and curry powder and cook for a few seconds until aromatic.
4. Add the broth, salt, and lemongrass and heat to boiling.
5. Pour into the slow cooker, cover, and cook for 3-5 hrs on high, or 4-8 hrs on low.
6. Mix the coconut milk, peanut butter, soy sauce, hot pepper sauce, and brown sugar to combine. 
7. Pour into the cooked soup and cook on high for 15 minutes.
8.  Remove the lemongrass, stir in the cilantro, and serve over rice!


*From Art of the slow cooker: 80 exciting new recipes by Andrew Schloss