Thai Ginger Chicken Soup, also known as Tom Kha Gai is a healthy classic, using Thai ginger (also know as galanga). It’s a light soup that’s perfect for summer, and it’s easy to prepare at home. We think Hildegard of Bingen would have included this meal in a balanced Medieval diet.
Thai Ginger Chicken soup (Tom Kha Gai)
Ingredients
- 3 cups of coconut milk
- 1 cup of meat broth
- 2 chicken breast fillets (full breast cut in half), sliced
- 1 can of mushrooms (straw mushrooms or portabello), drained and halved
- 1 piece (2.5 inches) Ginger or Galangal, peeled and cut into thin slices
- 1 stalk lemon grass cut into 1 inch pieces
- 2-3 Tablespoons fish sauce (Thai Kitchen makes a nice fish sauce)
- 4 Kaffir lime leaves torn in half
- 2-3 Tablespoons lime juice
- 1 handful of chopped fresh coriander
Preparation
Place coconut milk and broth together in a pot and bring the mixture to a simmer. Prepare two chicken breast fillets by slicing in half, tenderizing, and cutting into cubes. Add chicken, mushrooms, Ginger and lemon grass, and allow to simmer for about 7 to 10 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked. Add fish sauce and kaffir lime leaves, allowing to simmer for another 3 to 5 minutes. Turn off the stove, and stir-in lime juice. Season to taste with more fish sauce and lime juice if necessary. Serve in a large bowl with the coriander sprinkled on top. Consider replacing mushrooms with carrots, if you’re not a big fan of mushrooms.
