Chicken Coconut Soup (Tom Ka Kai)
This soup is deceptively easy to make, but boasts all the wonderful flavors Thai cuisine is beloved for. Serve as a first course, or with a bowl of rice or rice noodles for a complete meal. Omit the coconut milk for a lighter-tasting soup.
Time: 45 minutes
Makes: 6 to 8 first-course servings or 4 main-course servings
Ingredients:
- 13½-ounce can coconut milk
- 2 cups chicken stock (recipe on page 42)
- 2 plump stalks lemongrass, trimmed, bruised (see page 10), and halved
- 1-inch piece (1 ounce) young galangal, cut into 6 coins
- 5 kaffir lime leaves, torn in half
- 1 pound chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
- ½ cup fresh or canned mushrooms (button, straw, or shiitakes), sliced (optional)
- ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- 6 red Thai chilies, smashed with the butt of a knife (if you don’t like it too spicy, use less), plus more for garnish
- ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons lime juice (from 3 large)
- Cilantro leaves for garnish
Instructions:
- In a large pot, bring the coconut milk, stock, lemongrass, galangal, and lime leaves to a gentle boil over medium-high heat.
- Add the chicken, mushrooms, fish sauce, sugar, and chilies and return everything to a boil.
- Reduce the heat to medium and add the lime juice. Simmer until the chicken is fully cooked (cut into a piece to test), 3 to 4 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings if desired.
- Fish out the herbs and discard. Ladle the soup into individual bowls and garnish with cilantro leaves and 1 chili per bowl.