Tom Kha Gai Soup
Food
Audio By Carbonatix
Tom Kha Gai Soup
serves 4-6
Ingredients:
- 6 cups chicken stock
- 1 (13.5-ounce) can full fat coconut milk
- 1 (about 1in) piece fresh ginger or galangal, peeled & crushed with back of knife
- 6 (2-inch) pieces lemongrass, tough outer parts removed, & crushed with the back of a knife
- 1 tablespoon red curry paste
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- ½ medium white onion, thinly sliced
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast, thinly sliced (this is easy to slice when placed in freezer for 15min)
- 8oz mushrooms, trimmed & thinly sliced (I like shiitake for this)
- 1-2 oz fish sauce (don’t skip this—it adds great flavor)
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- zest of one lime
- 2oz fresh lime juice (from about 4 limes)
- ⅓ cup fresh basil leaves, plus more for serving
- Cilantro, for serving
- Cooked jasmine rice (optional)
- Chili paste, such as Sambal Oelek or red pepper flakes, for serving (optional)
A few notes on making this:
- This is an easy version of a Thai food favorite in my house— slightly spicy and perfect for cold wintry nights.
- If you can’t find lemon grass, you can just use a little extra ginger
- Don’t skip the fish sauce—it adds amazing depth of flavor.
- Serving with rice is optional but it adds heartiness to the soup.
- Chicken is easily sliced thin if it’s slightly frozen
Directions
- In a large pot over medium-high heat, combine the chicken stock, coconut milk, ginger, lemongrass, curry paste, sugar and onion and bring to a boil.
- Add the chicken, mushrooms and fish sauce. Reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer until the chicken is white and firm, about 4 minutes.
- Add the salt, lime zest, lime juice and basil and simmer until the basil is wilted, about 3 minutes.
- Serve the soup over white rice with cilantro and chili paste, if desired.
