Tom Kha Soup
Thai cuisine has always fascinated me because of its ability to play with sweet, salty, spicy and sour elements. Each dish boasts layers of flavour. A few weeks back I was in a small family-run Thai restaurant in Waltham and took my best friends cue and ordered the Tom Kha, a soup I had never enjoyed before. The version there left me in awe. It wasn't creamy or overpowering. Each ingredient spoke through the broth. Now that I'm almost 8000 miles away, I took it upon myself to recreate the soup I had there. A little bit of this and that and lots of patience resulted in the exact same blissful sip that blew my mind. Hope you enjoy this preparation just as much as I do!
Serves 4
Ingredients
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1 small onion- finely chopped
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3 cloves of garlic- finely chopped
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1 teaspoon of finely chopped ginger
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2 tablespoons of olive oil
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3 stalks of lemongrass- sliced diagonally
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6 slices of galangal
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6 kaffir lime leaves- torn
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2 carrots- chopped
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6 button mushrooms- sliced
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1/2 a red bell pepper- sliced
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3 sliced red chillis
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3 cups of vegetable stock
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2 cups of coconut milk
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2 tablespoons of chopped cilantro
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1/2 a lemon- juiced
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1 tablespoon of sugar
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1 teaspoon of salt to taste
Instructions
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In a large pot, heat the olive oil
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Once its hot, add the onion and garlic and stir it until the onion is transparent
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Now add the galangal and ginger and stir on
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In 30 seconds, add the vegetable broth and the coconut milk
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Bring to a boil and add the lemongrass
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In 5 minutes, add the mushrooms, carrots, chilli and kaffir lime leaves
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Let it simmer for 10 minutes
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Now add the lemon juice, bell pepper, cilantro (leave some for garnishing), sugar and salt
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Let it simmer for another 5 minutes
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Remove the galangal, kaffir lime leaves and lemongrass before serving
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Serve warm with cilantro over the top
Adjustments and additions
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You can add tofu
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You can add a tablespoon of soya sauce
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This version isn't thick and creamy but for a richer preparation you can use 1 cup of vegetable stock and 4 cups of coconut milk
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A myriad of vegetables can be used