THAI COCONUT LEMONGRASS CHICKEN SOUP
Ingredients —
Excellent Thai stock from College Inn
1 quart chicken stock, or Thai chicken stock by College Inn
1 stalk lemon grass, white part only, sliced thin
3 kaffir lime leaves, fresh or dried or lime zest
1 (2-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
2 small Thai chilies, halved lengthwise or julienne
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 (13-ounce) can unsweetened coconut milk
2 tablespoons Thai fish sauce (nam pla)
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1 (8-ounce) can straw mushrooms, rinsed
4 limes, juiced
1 1/2 cups shredded cooked chicken
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
Directions Quick Tip For More Flavor
Common sense, if you use the College Inn stock shown, cut back a little on the salt and ginger.
- College Inn is a rich, savory chicken broth infused with the flavors of coconut, curry, garlic and coriander. Available in convenient resealable cartons—use just as much as you need and save the rest for later.
- Bring the stock to the boil over medium heat in a soup pot.
- Add the lemon grass, kaffir lime leaves, ginger, chilies, and garlic. Lower the heat to medium-low, cover, and gently simmer for 10 minutes to let the spices infuse the broth.
- Uncover, stir in the coconut milk, fish sauce, sugar, mushrooms, lime juice and chicken.
- Simmer for 5 minutes to heat the chicken through; season with salt and pepper.
- Ladle the soup into a soup tureen or individual serving bowls. Garnish with cilantro. Be careful to avoid chewing the lemongrass, ginger, or lime leaves.
Thai Coconut Chicken Soup (Plan B – No Coconut)
Ingredients —
4 cups chicken stock
2 kaffir lime leaves or lime zest
One 3-inch piece lemongrass, thinly sliced
One 3-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated
3 scallions, trimmed and julienned
1 teaspoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 small fresh red Thai chili pepper, seed and ribs removed, and sliced crosswise
1 cup shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and sliced
1 tablespoon Thai fish sauce
Kosher salt
1/2 cup thinly sliced carrots
1 cup fresh cilantro leaves, plus more for garnish
1/2 cup bean sprouts
Juice of 1/2 lime, plus lime wedges for garnish
Mint leaves, for garnish
2 cooked boneless skinless chicken breast halves, shredded
Directions — In a medium saucepan, bring chicken stock to a boil. Add the lime leaves, lemongrass, ginger, scallions, curry powder, cumin, chilies, chicken, mushrooms, and fish sauce. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in carrots, cilantro, and bean sprouts. Simmer for 5 minutes more.
HINT : It is not true that there is no substitute for kaffir lime leaves in Thai cooking. You can simply substitute lime zest to get a wonderful fresh lime scent and citrusy flavor that adds zing and freshness to your dish. A regular “everyday” Persian lime, like the kind you find at grocery stores, will do just fine. Better yet, use a combination of lime and lemon zest. Generally, about 1 and 1/2 teaspoons of finely chopped lime zest can be used in place of one kaffir lime leaf.