Ohhh I am in a happy soup coma right now! My favorite soup in the world is a spicy thai coconut soup from Surin that I have never been able to make successfully at home, but I've found a recipe that is perfect!
Tom Ka Kai soup:
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 to 2 stalks lemon grass, outer sheath removed, bottom 3 inches trimmed and minced (3 tablespoons)
2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
1 large clove garlic, minced
2 to 3 teaspoons Thai red curry paste
6 cups homemade chicken stock or canned low-sodium chicken broth
3 tablespoons fish sauce or soy sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
2 (14-ounce) cans unsweetened coconut milk
1 whole boneless, skinless chicken breast (about 12 ounces), cut into 1 by 1/4-inch strips
1 (15-ounce) can straw mushrooms, drained and rinsed
3 tablespoons lime juice
Salt
1/2 cup loosely packed whole fresh cilantro leaves
3 scallions, greens only, sliced thin on an angle (optional)
1. Heat the oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the lemon grass, ginger, and garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until aromatic, 30 to 60 seconds. Add the curry paste and cook, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds.
2. Add 1/2 cup chicken stock to the pot and stir to dissolve the curry paste. Add the remaining stock, fish sauce, and sugar and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to low, partially cover, and simmer to blend flavors, about 20 minutes.
3. Stir in the coconut milk, chicken, mushrooms, and lime juice. Bring back to a simmer and cook until the stock is hot and the chicken is no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Taste for seasoning and add salt if desired. Serve immediately, garnishing each bowl with cilantro and scallions.
VARIATION
THAI SHRIMP AND COCONUT SOUP
Substitute 1/4 pound peeled and deveined medium shrimp for the chicken in step 3
The only things I changed is the quantity of lime juiceand the shrooms. It needed twice what lime they call for to give it the right amount of za-zoom. I don't like straw mushrooms so I used sliced white mushrooms. Enoki would be good too.
Tom Ka Kai soup:
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 to 2 stalks lemon grass, outer sheath removed, bottom 3 inches trimmed and minced (3 tablespoons)
2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
1 large clove garlic, minced
2 to 3 teaspoons Thai red curry paste
6 cups homemade chicken stock or canned low-sodium chicken broth
3 tablespoons fish sauce or soy sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
2 (14-ounce) cans unsweetened coconut milk
1 whole boneless, skinless chicken breast (about 12 ounces), cut into 1 by 1/4-inch strips
1 (15-ounce) can straw mushrooms, drained and rinsed
3 tablespoons lime juice
Salt
1/2 cup loosely packed whole fresh cilantro leaves
3 scallions, greens only, sliced thin on an angle (optional)
1. Heat the oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the lemon grass, ginger, and garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until aromatic, 30 to 60 seconds. Add the curry paste and cook, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds.
2. Add 1/2 cup chicken stock to the pot and stir to dissolve the curry paste. Add the remaining stock, fish sauce, and sugar and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to low, partially cover, and simmer to blend flavors, about 20 minutes.
3. Stir in the coconut milk, chicken, mushrooms, and lime juice. Bring back to a simmer and cook until the stock is hot and the chicken is no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Taste for seasoning and add salt if desired. Serve immediately, garnishing each bowl with cilantro and scallions.
VARIATION
THAI SHRIMP AND COCONUT SOUP
Substitute 1/4 pound peeled and deveined medium shrimp for the chicken in step 3
The only things I changed is the quantity of lime juiceand the shrooms. It needed twice what lime they call for to give it the right amount of za-zoom. I don't like straw mushrooms so I used sliced white mushrooms. Enoki would be good too.
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