Lemon Chicken Soup

This easy soup makes a nice lunch or light supper. As some ingredients may not be readily available in all areas, substitutes are listed. From Simply THAI Cooking. Updated to list ingredients in order of addition.

• Ready In: 30 mins
• Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 4  cups water
• 1  stick lemongrass, smashed and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1  inch fresh galangal root, sliced in thin rounds (may sub. ginger root)
• 5  fresh lime leaves (may sub. 2 T. lime juice)
• 4  tablespoons fish sauce
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons  chili paste
• 8  ounces fresh tomatoes, cut in 3/4-inch dice
• 2  ounces button mushrooms, quartered
• 8  ounces chicken breast halves, sliced in 1/4-inch strips
• 4  tablespoons lime juice
• 2  fresh hot chili peppers
•  fresh cilantro leaves

Directions

1. Boil 4 cups water in a soup pot. Add lemon grass, galangal, and lime leaves and cook 1 minutes. Add fish sauce and chili paste, cook 1 minute, and reduce heat to medium. Add tomatoes and mushrooms, cook 3 minutes, until broth bubbles again.
2. Turn heat to maximum and add chicken strips. Stir to separate, and cook 5 minutes until chicken is done.
3. Add 4 T. lime juice (this is in addition to the lime juice previously added, if you were substituting for the lime leaves). Stir.
4. Crush chiles and cut in half. Add to soup and stir.
5. Remove from heat, transfer to soup tureen and sprinkle with cilantro leaves. Serve immediately.