Favorite Recipes: Tom Kha Gai Soup
We love food. Probably to our detriment but hey! After a day ripping it up on the slopes, let’s face it—we’re hungry! And I’m willing to bet you are too! We wanted to share some of our favorite recipes periodically on there so in case you were stumped during your visit, you could find a little inspiration!
Thai food is one of my absolute favorites. And particularly, Tom Kha Gai Soup. This is, in layman’s terms, Thai Chicken Soup. Like many things Thai, the base is coconut and the spice level can easily be made to taste. This recipe is warm, comforting, and mild in spice at it’s core. Just add some sriracha or red chili flake if you’d like to give a little kick to clear out your sinuses. It’s from 40Aprons but I’ve made my own notes on here so you’re welcome to pick which you want to cook from! Below is how I make it.
**side note: I love that this recipe is easily adaptable to vegetarian, vegan, pescetarian, Whole30, etc.
I have been able to find all of these ingredients at the Safeway and the City Market in town.
Time: about 15 minutes to put together then the longer you heat it, the more the flavors blend. It’s a lot like chili where the longer it simmers, the better it gets—even if it’s pretty darn good just to start!
Cost: about $20-$25 depending on what you already have/substitutions.
Yield: I’d say at least 6 good size servings.
Ingredients you’ll need:
-1T coconut oil (coconut oil is best but you can use avocado or olive oil in a pinch)
-1/2 an onion, sliced (medium sized, white or yellow works best but red works in a pinch)
-2 cloves garlic (I always do 2-3x more because I love garlic)
-1/2 a red pepper sliced (I use sweet peppers. You can add some Thai Chilies or hotter than sweet peppers to punch it up.)
-A good chunk of fresh ginger. (I like to do something about the size of 1/2 my pinkie finger.)
-1 stalk lemongrass (Usually found in the produce fresh herbs area. You’ll pound this and cut it in to 2 inch pieces.)
-2-4 teaspoons of red curry paste. (I grab the itty bitty Thai Kitchen red curry paste from the international aisle.)
-4 cups chicken broth (use veggie broth for vegetarian or vegans)
-4 cups canned coconut milk (coconut cream is THE BEST for creating a velvety texture.)
-2 medium chicken thighs (you can use breasts if you prefer or even do tofu or shrimp instead.)
-8 ounces of mushrooms sliced (white mushrooms, button mushrooms, cremini mushrooms, whatever! Add more mushrooms if this is going to be vegetarian.)
-1-2 T coconut sugar (If you’re like me and don’t like a ton of added sugar, use coco aminos instead.)
-1-2T fish sauce (You can add more to taste!)
-fresh lime juice (I just pick one lime, cut it into pieces, squeeze in the juice then drop in the pieces to marinate.)
-1/2 a bunch of green onion sliced thin
-fresh cilantro for garnish
Instructions:
1) in a pot, heat coconut oil over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, peppers/chiles, ginger, lemongrass, and red curry. Stir frequently until the onions are soft. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
2) Some say to strain out the aromatics (garlic, onion, lemongrass, ginger) here but I personally keep them in for vibrant flavor. Plus I like eating them. Lemongrass is the only thing you won’t really be able to eat as the chunks will be too woody. Your choice! Add in coconut cream and chicken (or tofu/shrimp). When the chicken is cooked through add the fish sauce, coconut sugar (or coco aminos), and lime juice. Let cook through for a few minutes.
3) Ladle into serving bowls and top with the sliced green onion and fresh cilantro.