Thai Ginger Chicken Soup (Tom Khing Gai) Recipe

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 cups chicken cut into bite sized pieces
• 3-4 cups chicken stock
• 2 stalks lemongrass, bruised (this isn’t eaten, but is an essential flavorant)
• 4-5 kaffir lime leaves, shredded
• 2 coriander/cilantro plants, including roots chopped.
• 1 tablespoon Thai chile peppers, thinly sliced.
• 1 tablespoon dried chili peppers
• the juice of 3 or 4 limes
• 2 or 3 tablespoons sliced bamboo shoots or asparagus (this recipe is great with asparagus)
• 2-3 tablespoons of fish sauce.
• 2 tablespoon shallots (or small red or purple onions), thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
• 1 tablespoon fresh galangal, minced
• Thai pepper powder to taste

DIRECTIONS:

Heat a wok dry, and warm the dried chilis, then crumble them. Add a little oil to the wok and saute the chilis, ginger, galangal, shallots and garlic, until aromatic.

In a medium sauce pan, bring the stock to a boil. Add the sauteed ingredients, and the fish sauce and lime juice, and taste for balance. Then add the remaining ingredients, and bring back to a boil before adding the chicken. After about 1 minute taste for the balance of spices again, and then serve when the chicken is just cooked.

See glossary for recipe ingredients you’re not familiar with.