Wicked Thai Chicken Soup

1/2  cup		finely chopped onion
1/2  cup		a red bell pepper, diced
1-1/2  cups		sliced mushrooms
4  cups		chicken stock
2		chicken breasts, cut into small dices
1  teaspoon		fish sauce
1  teaspoon		Worcestershire sauce
1  cup		half and half (10%) cream
1/2  cup		coconut milk
2  teaspoons		red curry paste
1-1/2  teaspoons		Sambal Oelek chili paste (or Sriracha, as an alternative but you may need less)
3  tablespoons		tomato paste (to taste)
1  tablespoon		cornstarch
2  cups		cooked rice (long grain white or brown rice or try a mix of long grain with wild rice for some added texture)

Tip: For nutritional information on all the ingredients in Wicked Thai Chicken Soup just click on each ingredient name. Then adjust the serving size for any Wicked Thai Chicken Soup ingredient with the serving size tool in the nutrition facts area to the right to see how you can save calories, carbs and more.

Cook rice and set aside (or use left-over cooked rice).
Heat large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat and add 1 Tbsp. oil. When hot, add mushrooms and cook until golden and tender. Remove to a plate. In same pot, add remaining 1 Tbsp. oil and heat. Add onion, red pepper, and saute just until softened. Return mushrooms to pot. Add broth and chicken and heat through. Add lemon grass paste, fish sauce and Worcestershire sauce and simmer 5 minutes. Add cream and coconut milk, turn heat to low, then cover and simmer 2 minutes.
In a small bowl, add curry paste, Sambal Oelek, tomato paste, 2 Tbsp. water and cornstarch and mix until incorporated. Stir into soup until combined and heat until soup simmers, thickens very slightly and has a velvety appearance. Add cooked rice, cover and simmer 5 minutes. Taste and season with salt and pepper, to taste. (You can also add more curry paste, tomato paste and/or Sambal Oelek to taste at this point, as well).
Pour soup into bowls and garnish with cilantro, parsley or basil leaves and serve with additional Sambal Oelek for those who prefer a hotter soup.