Thai Coconut Soup : Thai Tom Kha Gai Style

During college (or the VERY small kitchen years) and shortly there after, I used to treat myself to Thai takeout every week; indulging in the flavor that I was unable to reproduce at home. My most favorite soup was always the Tom Kha Gai which is a coconut based soup spiced perfectly with citrus undertones and a surprisingly welcome heat.

The problem is, and with most ethnic food, that it's difficult to recreate an authentic recipe (aka, your favorite restaurant's recipe) since every chef has their own variation. I have tried making many tom kha gai recipes over the years and nothing has been so successful as the recipe I have stumbled across at the library this weekend. I made a few adjustments based on the ingredients that were available to me and I encourage you to do the same.

The soup it self is a snap but locating the ingredients may be your biggest challenge based on your location. I promise this soup is worth the effort. This is one of the most delicious recipes I have ever made and worth every ounce of energy that goes into it. It yields about 6-8 servings.

May I say one thing before you begin? Please, please, please don't be afraid of the fish sauce. I have recently discovered that everything delicious and down right scrumptious in Thai cooking includes fish sauce. I promise it won't be fishy and your recipe will be lacking if you skip this ingredient.

* lemon grass can be located at your local Asian supermarket (super88s for example) or a farmers market.

**kaffir lime leaves are not regular lime leaves. If you can't locate these edible leaves at your local Asian market you can order fresh or dried online or skip this ingredient.

Last but not least: ***use any seafood you prefer. Mussels, scallops and shrimp are what I used in this recipe but I have also made this recipe previously with tofu and mushrooms and have been just as pleased with the results.

Tom Kha Gai

2 1/2 cups vegetable broth

5 thin slices of fresh ginger root

2 lemon grass stalks, chopped*

3 kaffir lime leaves, shredded**

1 oz cilantro

1 oz chives

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 small onion

14 oz coconut milk

3 Tbsp fish sauce :)

4 Tbsp green curry paste

2 lbs of raw seafood, frozen or fresh***

juice of 1/2 lime

salt and pepper to taste

Pour the vegetable broth into a large pot and add ginger, lemon grass, and half of the shredded lime leaves.

Using half the chives, chop and add to the base of the soup. Strip the cilantro stems from the leaves and add stems to soup and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and let simmer for about 20 minutes. Strain the stock into a bowl and discard other ingredients.

Add olive oil and chopped onion to the pan and saute for 10 minutes. Add the strained stock, coconut milk, remaining lime leaves and fish sauce. Cook on low heat for 5-10 minutes and then add in curry paste and cook for an additional 3 minutes.

Now add your seafood and cook for a further 2-3 minutes or until seafood is cooked through.

Stir in lime juice and salt and pepper to taste. Combine remaining chives and cilantro leaves to your soup and serve with fresh chives on top and prepared to be blown away!

Yummy yummy!