Tom Kha is a popular Thai soup which comes to us from Bangkok and the central plains of Thailand. It is typically served with shrimp or chicken but can include straw mushrooms or bok choy. It has a wonderful balance of sweet and sour flavor accompanied by the fragrance of fresh lemongrass, cilantro, galangal, and lime.
While the dish may sound intimating to assemble, we assure you, this soup is super easy!
Ingredients
- 1 can (14 oz.) coconut milk
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro
- 1 can (14 oz.) reduced-sodium chicken broth / Vegetable broth
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- 1 teaspoon Thai chili paste
- 1 stalk fresh lemongrass, cut in 1-in. pieces
- 6 quarter-size slices fresh Galangal
- 1 tablespoon Thai fish sauce (nuoc mam or nam pla) [Optional]
- 1 pound boned, skinned chicken breast or thighs / Tofu; cut into 1-in. chunk
- 1 cup sliced mushrooms
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves
Instructions :
- Combine the coconut milk, broth, ginger, and lemongrass in a medium saucepan.
- Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat.
- To that, add fish sauce, chicken/tofu, sugar, mushrooms, chili paste and lime juice.
- Over low heat simmer for 5-10 minutes until chicken/tofu is cooked.
- Remove the lemongrass from the soup and garnish with cilantro and basil leaves.
