Thai Galangal Chicken Soup ( Tom Ka Gai)

**Jubes**'s Note:

This recipe was given to me by my brother-in-law but origanally from an Australian Women's Weekly cookbook/magazine. The coconut milk tames the spices, making this a smooth and subtle soup. You can use chicjen breast if you prefer them to the chicken thigh meat.. This recipe is gluten-free if you use a purchased or home-made stock that is gf suitable and a gf fish sauce. The whole coriander/cilantro is used in this soup- the roots and stem in the soup base and then the leaves before serving

• Total Time: 45 mins
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 4

Soup or Stock Base

• 3 cups chicken stock, gluten-free if required for diet (750ml)
• 20 g fresh galangal, peeled and sliced thickly
• 2 sticks fresh lemongrass, cut into 5 cm pieces
• 4 kaffir lime leaves
• 2 teaspoons coriander root, and stems (cilantro)
• 500 g chicken thigh fillets or 500 g chicken breast fillets, sliced thinly
• 200 g straw mushrooms, drained and rinsed under clean water
• 1 cup coconut milk
• 4 teaspoons lime juice
• 4 teaspoons fish sauce, gluten-free if required for diet
• 1 teaspoon grated palm sugar or 1 teaspoon brown sugar

Ingredients to add just before serving

• 1/4 cup loosely packed fresh coriander leaves (Cilantro)
• 2 fresh small thai red chilies, seeded and sliced thinly
• 2 fresh kaffir lime leaves, shredded
• 1 stick fresh lemongrass, sliced thinly

Directions:

1. Cut the lemongrass into 5 cm pieces and pound the pieces with the side of your kitchen knife to bruise them. This helps to release the flavour into the soup.
2. Using a large saucepan- combine the stock, lemongrass pieces, galangal, whole lime leaves and coriander (cilantro) roots and stems mixture. Bring to the boil. Reduce the heat. Simmer covered for 5 minutes.
3. Remove from the heat and allow to stand for 10 minutes.
4. Strain the stock through muslin or a fine strainer into a large heatproof bowl. Discard the solids.
5. Rinse your saucepan.
6. Return your stock/soup base to the same saucepan.
7. Add chicken and straw mushrooms. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 5 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through.
8. Stir in the coconut milk, lime juice, fish sauce and the sugar. Cook, stirring, until only just heated through. Do not boil. Remove from heat.
9. Add the remaining ingredients- coriander (cilantro) leaves, red chillies, kaffir lime leaves and the lemon grass slices.
10. Serve hot.

Reviews

[tomlinste]

I have made this soup dozens of times and never thought to cook in the chicken broth! I had been reserving half of the coconut milk for last boil, Also letting the mixture stand for 10 minutes is brilliant! I cant wait to try your method!

[Baby Kato]

Delicious Jubes, just delicious. My dh & I love thai soup and this treat did not disappoint. Wow, what flavor. Love the use of the galangal and coriander root and stems. I used a crush lemongrass paste, frozen kaffir lime leaves and substituted red pepper flakes for the red chilies, as I couldn't find any. The flavor of this soup is fantastic, so many beautiful seasonings. Thank you so much for sharing a recipe, that I will make again often. :)

[K9 Owned]

I love this soup!!! I love it when I go out for Thai food and this recipe is as good as any I have ordered. I reduced the quantities for two of us and didn't have straw mushrooms so subbed quartered button mushrooms. I also swapped out the chilis for chili oil (didn't have those either) and was thrilled with the result. Thanks so much for posting Jubes! Made for ZWT6 on behalf of the Looney Spoon Phoodies.