Tom Kha Gai

Since a FB friend posted a few days ago about soups I can't think of anything else. lol
So even though it is as hot and tropical outside as Maui, I am once again making soup. My daughter introduced me to this soup at a Thai restaurant in Cincinnati and I fell in  love with it. It is light, fresh and only takes about 20 minutes start to finish to prepare.

 It is hard to find some of the international ingredients locally, so I have found some readily available substitutes such as Ginger for Galangal and lime juice for Kaffir lime leaves. Even if you don't like international foods, just hang in there with me for a bit. You just might be surprised.

Tom Kha Gai
14oz can coconut milk
2 cups chicken broth
6 thin slices peeled galangal
2 lemon grass stems, bruised or 2 TBL lemongrass paste
1 red chili pepper or jalapeno pepper, finely chopped
8oz chicken breast, chopped
6 green onions chopped
2 TBL cilantro, minced
Juice of 1 lime
1 TBL fish sauce (try soy sauce if you can't find fish sauce)

Bring coconut milk and chicken broth to a boil.
Add the ginger root, lemon grass, chili pepper and chicken.
Boil for approx. 10 minutes or until chicken is cooked.
Add remaining ingredients and cook another 3 minutes.

Enjoy!!

Even if you are not a culinary visionary, I hope you will give this a try. Even if you don't like coconut milk you may very well enjoy this delightful soup. Take a walk on the wild side. Step out of your comfort zone and expand your horizons- give this soup a shot. You never know, you might find a new favorite recipe.