Thai Coconut Soup (Tom Kha Gai)
Equipment
- (1) one-gallon soup pot
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons neutral oil (such as safflower or canola)
- 1 medium onion, cut into ⅛ inch slices
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 jalapeno chili pepper
- ¾ inch ginger, cut into three ¼ inch slices
- 1 stalk lemongrass
- 2 teaspoons red (or green) Thai curry paste
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 4 cups coconut milk
- 2 medium chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces, OR
- ½ pound firm tofu, cut into bite sized pieces, OR
- ½ pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
- ½ pound mixed mushrooms (including shitake), cut into bite sized pieces
- 1 tablespoon raw sugar
- 3 tablespoons fish sauce
- 3 tablespoons lime juice
- ¼ cup cilantro, chopped
- 4 scallions, cut into ¼" slices
Instructions
Prepare ingredients
- Cut stem end off chili pepper, cut pepper in half lengthwise, remove seeds, and cut flesh into ⅛" slices.
- Pound lemongrass stalk and cut into 2-inch pieces.
Cook soup
- Heat oil in pot over medium heat.
- When oil is hot, but before it begins to smoke, add onion, garlic, chili, ginger, lemongrass, and curry paste.
- Cook 5 minutes.
- Add chicken broth.
- Simmer 30 minutes, uncovered.
- Strain out aromatics.
- Return liquid to pot. Add coconut milk; chicken, shrimp, or tofu; and mushrooms.
- If using chicken or shrimp, simmer until chicken or shrimp is cooked. If using mushrooms, simmer approx. 5 minutes.
- Add fish sauce, lime juice, and sugar.
- Simmer for 5 more minutes.
- Remove from heat.
- Garnish with green onions and cilantro.