Thai Chicken Soup With Coconut (Tom Kha Kai)

Silky texture & makes your kitchen "smell like Heaven" according to a friend of mine. Original recipe from "True Thai" Victor Sodsook

• Ready In: 50 mins
• Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

• 3  cups  chicken stock
• 5 1⁄2 ounces gingerroot, cut in chunks
• 12  inches lemongrass, stalk cut into 3 in pieces
• 1  lime, zest of (zest of one lime)
• 2 (15 ounce) cans coconut milk
• 1  chicken breast, thinly sliced
• 2  tablespoons  chili paste (with tamarind)
• 1⁄4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 2 1⁄2 tablespoons fish sauce
• 2  tablespoons brown sugar
• 8  ounces mushrooms, sliced
• 2  small chili peppers, diced

Directions

1. Bring stock, ginger, lemongrass & lime zest to a boil. Cook one minute then add coconut milk & chicken breast. Simmer until chicken is cooked through.
2. Combine chili paste, lemon juice, fish sauce and brown sugar. Stir to dissolve sugar. Add to soup w/ mushroom slices & diced chilis. Simmer until mushrooms are soft.
3. Serve after removing ginger chunks & lemongrass pieces.