It is raining and cold here in the mountains of northeast Washington State and that means soup season has begun! We both love homemade soups of all kinds, plus we both love Thai food. But finding all the ingredients is challenging up here. Then in a serendipitous moment, my friend and neighbor Lin asked if I could use some lemon grass that she grew in her greenhouse. Yes, I sure could! Immediately I knew that the famous Thai chicken coconut soup, “Tom Kha Gai” would be on our table. This soup is a delight on your palate with so many flavors dancing around in your mouth. The combination of fresh ginger, lemongrass, fish sauce, chili paste, basil and cilantro are smoothed and balanced with sweet, creamy coconut milk. This, my friends is a real treat!
Here’s what we’ll need.
Tom Kha Gai or Thai Chicken Soup
Ingredients
- 14 oz can coconut milk
- 14 oz can chicken broth
- 6 slices fresh ginger root each about the size of a quarter
- 1 stalk lemongrass chopped in 1 inch pieces
- 1 lb boneless chicken breast sliced very thin
- 1/2 lb mushrooms cleaned and sliced, discard the stems
- 1 Tbsp Lime Juice fresh, if you have a lime
- 1 Tbsp Thai fish sauce
- 1 tsp sugar
- 2 tsp Thai green chili paste
- 1/4 cup fresh Basil thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro roughly chopped
Instructions
- I prep all my ingredients before I start putting together the recipe. That way, it is a smooth process with few stops and starts. Freezing the chicken for 15-20 minutes is helpful when trying to thinly slice it.
- In a soup kettle, combine the coconut milk, chicken broth, ginger and lemongrass. Bring this to a boil over high heat.
- Add in the thinly sliced chicken and stir to separate all the pieces.
- Stir in the sliced mushrooms and the lime juice and give it a swirl.
- Lastly, stir in the fish sauce, sugar and green chili paste. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 5 to 8 minutes just until the chicken is white and opaque. Discard the lemongrass and the ginger slices.
- I'm serving the soup in these bowls we purchased in Japan. Now, Japan is a fair distance from Thailand, but I thought they were pretty. 🙂
- Ladle into your serving bowls and sprinkle the basil and cilantro over the top. Use as much or as little as you like. That's it! So quick and easy to prepare but it tastes like you have spent ages making it.
- Thanks for stopping by today friends. I appreciate you spending time on my page. I hope this change from summer to fall finds you all safe, healthy and warm.
- Until next time, Journey on! Hugs and much love from me, Karen, TJG
- Please stop by my website and leave me a comment. I love hearing from you all! www.thejourneygirl.com
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