Filipino-Style Chicken Soup with Coconut and Lemon Grass

This recipe is our adaptation of Filipino chicken binakol, a brothy, chunky soup with coconut, ginger and lemon grass that’s said to come from the Western Visayas region of the country. The juice and meat of buko, or young, green coconuts, is a traditional ingredient, but we were happy to discover that two widely available substitutes—coconut water and dried wide-flaked coconut—yielded delicious results. And in lieu of a whole chicken cut into parts, we opted for boneless thighs that cook more quickly but still boast rich, meaty flavor. Some versions of the soup also contain firm, crisp-textured green papaya and/or chayote squash; for ease, we opted to add only chayote. Also known as mirliton (particularly in Louisiana), the pear-shaped, bumpy-surfaced edible gourd is much easier to source than green papaya and has a similar texture, flavor and color. If chayote is not available, chunks of zucchini or yellow summer squash offer different characteristics but also are satisfying. Binakol often is finished with dahon ng sili, or the leaves of chili plants, but we wilt in baby spinach. Serve with steamed rice.