Lemongrass Chicken Coconut Soup
Copyright 2014 by Jacqueline Peppard, all rights reserved
This dish is also known as tom kha gai. My version uses red sweet pepper instead
of the Thai red chili. However, people could always spice up their individual portion
with red chili oil served on the side.
Tools:
Ingredients:
2 TBS olive or coconut oil, divided
1 TBS toasted sesame oil, divided
2 to 4 garlic cloves, minced
8-inch stalk fresh lemongrass,
tough outer layers removed,
finely sliced
1-inch piece galangal ginger
or regular ginger, minced
(about ½ TBS)
6 scallions, sliced thin,
divided into 2 equal portions
6 cups chicken stock
6 to 10 fresh kaffir lime leaves or
1 TBS lime zest
1 can coconut milk (2 cups)
¼ cup fresh lime juice
(if not using kaffir lime leaves)
½ TSP saffron or turmeric
2 chicken breasts, sliced or 2 cups shredded roasted chicken
1 red pepper, sliced ¼ inch thick
1 bunch fresh cilantro, trimmed
and chopped, for garnish
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Hi,
Love the blog, it really makes things simple…you know for those of us who want to eat well but don’t know where to start!
I love Thai food and this is one of my favorite dishes, I do have a few questions though! How can I make a Vegan friendly version of this?
Is sweet or unsweetened Coconut milk desired for this dish?
Also, what is the trick in preserving the delicate tastes in this soup during preparation (I’ve tried making this once already and the tastes went horribly wrong 🙂 )
Thanks!!!
Hey, thanks for visiting my blog! To make a vegan friendly soup, use a total of 2 cans coconut milk (4 cups) and replace chicken broth with only 2 cups vegetable broth. Replace chicken with two cups of cubed carrots and cook them until soft or add two cups cubed tofu at the end to add meatiness. You could also use two cups of sautéed mushrooms added with scallions to beef up the texture.
It is best to use unsweetened coconut milk, because sweetened coconut milk has added refined sugar. Coconut milk has plenty of naturally occurring sugars, about 3 grams per 1/2 cup, and become more concentrated when cooked.
When sautéing anything, keep at medium heat and do not walk away until the process has been completed. My guess is you probably sautéed the spices at too high a heat and burned them. If this happens again in any instance, throw away the burnt whatever, and start over. Once you have burned the spices, there is no way to save the dish so don’t waste the other ingredients.
Hope that helps and let me know if you have any other questions.