LEMONGRASS CHICKEN SOUP

This Thai Chicken soup call for coconut milk, just like Tom Kha Gai..but I omitted the coconut and made a clear chicken soup.The two uniquely Thai flavorings here are lemongrass, also used in Vietnamese cuisine, and Kaffir Lime leaves. Lemongrass is a perennial herb, called Takrai in Thailand. Mostly the inner white part of the stalks is used for flavoring.

This soup is easy to make, hearty and satisfying. This soup is rather mild, but chose to leave it that way in deference to those who don't eat spicy food. If you were serving a large group with different tastes, that would be a consideration. I use about double the lemon grass, fish sauce, peppers and cilantro, putting half the peppers and cilantro in the soup and the other half for each person to add. 

Thai Chicken Soup Recipe

Ingredients:

1 quart chicken stock

2 lemongrass stalk, white part, crushed slightly

3 kaffir lime leaves

7 small fresh Thai chiles, halved lengthwise

1 carrot slice into ring

3 large garlic cloves, smashed

1 Tbsp Thai fish sauce (recipe called for 2 T)

1 can mushrooms (recipe called for straw mushrooms)

9 pieces chicken 

juice of 4 limes

fresh ground black pepper to taste

1/4 cup fresh cilantro to garnish if desired (or more)

In large soup pot, bring chicken stock to a simmer over medium heat. Add lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, ginger slices, Thai chiles, and smashed garlic cloves. Simmer, covered, for 10-15 minutes, then strain stock to remove these inedible flavorings.

Turn heat to low, then add in carrots fish sauce, sugar, mushrooms, chicken, lime juice, and cracked pepper. Simmer about 5 minutes without boiling to blend flavors and heat chicken through. Ladle soup into individual bowls and sprinkle with cilantro if desired.

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Resipi Tom Kha Gai yang saya gunakan tetapi saya tidak masukkan santan. Saya biarkan ia begitu aje...rasanya macam tom yam tetapi tidak berempah. Suka rasanya yang masam-masam...sesuai buat lauk dengan gandingan lauk yang lain.

Next Post - Kuih Lapis Pelangi Nyonya

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