Our Favorite Chicken and Coconut Soup - Thai Style

My husband and I love Tom Kha Gai and have tried it at many Thai restaurants. We prefer Thai soup that we can distinctly taste spicy, sour, and sweet flavors. After many attempts, I think that I've finally come up with a really good recipe. I started with a recipe from the "The Best Recipe, Soups and Stews" cookbook and then modified it so that the flavor and ingredients closely match that of a soup that our favorite Thai restaurant serves. Now we can have delicious Tom Kha Gai without having to go out to eat. Part of the uniqueness of this recipe is that the ginger and lemon grass are finely minced as opposed to being left whole as in traditional Thai soup. The good thing about this is that you don't have to "fish out" ingredients while eating the soup.

• Ready In: 45 mins
• Serves: 8

Ingredients

• 1  tablespoon  oil
• 1  stalk lemongrass (remove outer sheath and finely mince the bottom 3 inches of the stalk)
• 2  tablespoons fresh ginger (peel and finely mince)
• 1  clove garlic, finely minced
• 1  small onion, sliced vertically to form thin strips
• 2  tablespoons Thai red curry paste (I use Maesri brand)
• 2  tablespoons  tom kha paste or 2  tablespoons  tom yum paste
• 6  cups  chicken stock
• 3  tablespoons fish sauce
• 2  tablespoons sugar
• 2 (14 ounce) cans unsweetened coconut milk
• 1⁄2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1  dash  Asian chili sauce (I use Sriracha brand)
• 1 -2  boneless skinless chicken breast, sliced into thin strips
• 1  cup fresh mushrooms, sliced
• 1  tomatoes, chopped
• 1 (8 ounce) package  fresh  baby corn, about (I buy this at Trader Joe's)
• 3  tablespoons fresh lime juice
•  cilantro leaf (to garnish)

Directions

1. Heat oil in a large stock pot Add the lemon grass, ginger, garlic, and onion and stir fry for about one minute.
2. Add the curry paste and Tom Kha soup mix paste and stir fry for about 30 seconds.
3. Add the chicken stock, fish sauce, and sugar and bring to a boil.
4. Reduce heat to low and simmer for about 15 minutes.
5. Slice the baby corn vertically into four pieces so that the corn resembles small strips.
6. Add the corn to the pot and simmer for 10 minutes.
7. Add the coconut milk, chicken, mushrooms, tomato, lime juice, hot sauce, and pepper flakes.
8. Simmer until the chicken is no longer pink, about 5 to 10 minutes.
9. Taste the soup and add more sugar, lime juice, or hot sauce, depending on your taste.
10. I usually add one more TBS of sugar.
11. Serve the soup garnished with cilantro leaves.
12. Note: If you have leftovers, the coconut milk will separate from the chicken broth when chilled.
13. Simply warm the soup back up and stir to blend.