This warming soup is a quick and easy recipe to put together on a weeknight yet wonderful for guests when you’re entertaining.
Ingredients
1 small onion, thinly sliced
3 lemon grass stalks, crushed
6 fresh or dried kaffir lime leaves
1 piece ginger, 4 inches (10 cm) long, peeled and sliced
1 piece galangal, 4 inches (10 cm) long,peeled and sliced
7½ cups (1.9 L) chicken broth
2 cans (each 400 mL) coconut milk
2 to 4 tsp (10 to 20 mL) fish sauce
1 to 3 tsp (5 to 15 mL) palm or granulated sugar(optional)
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts,about 1 lb (500 g)
½ red pepper, thinly sliced into strips
⅛ tsp (0.5 mL) salt
¼ lb (125 g) fresh shiitake or button mushrooms,thinly sliced
3 green onions, thinly sliced
1 lime, cut into wedges
½ cup (125 mL) Thai basil leaves or cilantro sprigs for garnish
Preparation
1
Place onion, lemon grass, lime leaves, ginger and galangal in a large pot.
Pour in broth.Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduceheat so broth is simmering. Simmer until very flavourful, 20 minutes. Strain into a bowl.
2
Pour broth back into pot. Stir in coconutmilk. Bring to a gentle boil over medium-highheat. Stir in fish sauce.
Taste and add sugar,if you like.
3
Meanwhile, thinly slice chicken and red pepper into bite-sized pieces. Sprinkle chicken with salt.
When broth is gently boiling, stir in chicken, peppers, mushrooms and green onions. Bring back to a gentle simmer.
Gently simmer, stirring frequently until chicken is cooked through and vegetables soften, 2 to 5 minutes.
Do not vigorously boil. Divide between bowls. Squeeze a wedge of lime into each.
Serve garnished with basil.
Cooking time: 15-minutes .
