Tom Kha Gai (Chicken Galangal Soup)

Name: Tom Kha Gai (Chicken Galangal Soup)
Prep time: 11 min
Cook time: 18 min
Total time: 29 min
Yield: 3 serving(s)
Ingredients: 2 (13 1/2 ounce) cans coconut milk; 1 1/2 cups chicken stock; 2 chicken breasts, cut bite sized; 3 stalks lemongrass, white part only cut into diagonal strips; 1 inch length fresh galangal root, sliced into thin strips; 5 chili peppers, remove stem, sliced diagonally; 10 kaffir lime leaves, remove center spine crumple lightly; 1 (15 ounce) can straw mushrooms; 2 tablespoons palm sugar (or Brown sugar); 2 tablespoons fish sauce; 3 tablespoons lime juice

Submitted by tomlinste

"My first trip to Thailand I stumbled upon this soup and loved it so much I lingered around the restaurant until I was hungry enough to go back inside and eat more! I enjoyed it on subsequent trips to Thailand and at Thai restaurants in the U.S. Naturally I would attempt to make it myself and was pleasantly surprised how easy it was. I tried several online recipes of which I gathered tips and experience. The measurements used in this recipe have been tweaked little by little. Tips: - The Galangal root and Lemongrass are not expected to be eaten, they are added for flavor! - The Chicken breasts are easier to cut if slightly frozen. - Reserving some of the Coconut for the end makes the final color of the soup brighter. - Before slicing Lemongrass bruise slightly to aid flavor release. - Lime juice is added last because it loses effectiveness when cooked. - This soup is commonly garnished with Cilantro. I don't care for it. * The Galangal root and Kaffir Lime leaves can be tricky to find, check your local Asian market. All the ingredients can also be purchased online. There are even Tom Kha Gai kits online with all the fresh vegetables!"

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photo by tomlinste

Ready In:: 29mins
Ingredients:: 11
Serves:: 3

ingredients

2 (13 1/2 ounce) cans coconut milk
1 ¹⁄₂ cups chicken stock
2 chicken breasts, cut bite sized
3 stalks lemongrass, white part only cut into diagonal strips
1 inch length fresh galangal root, sliced into thin strips
5 chili peppers, remove stem, sliced diagonally
10 kaffir lime leaves, remove center spine crumple lightly
1 (15 ounce) can straw mushrooms
2 tablespoons palm sugar (or Brown sugar)
2 tablespoons fish sauce
3 tablespoons lime juice

directions

1. Pour 1 of the 2 two cans of Coconut milk and the Chicken broth into a sauce pan and bring to a boil.
2. Add Galangal root, Lemongrass, and Chili peppers simmer for 10 minutes.
3. Add Chicken pieces to pot and simmer until the color looks uniform brown about 3 minutes.
4. Add Straw mushrooms, Kaffir Lime leaves, Coconut Palm sugar, and Fish sauce. Simmer 5 minutes.
5. Add final can of Coconut milk. return to boil and remove pan from heat.
6. Add Lime juice stir and serve.