Tom Kha Gai

This is enough for 4-6 people. I make this and we have it for 1-2 days.

Red curry-flavored soup from Thailand is great on a cold fall or winter day!

1 ea medium-sized Onion, sliced

4 ea Garlic cloves, minced

1 1” Knob of Ginger, minced

1/2 ea of a Fresno chili, Jalapeno is a good substitute, sliced thin, less spicy, gets rid of the seeds

1/2 Stalk Lemongrass, crushed and chopped

2 Tbls Soy sauce. I use Tamari, so it is GF

1 Tbls Rice Vinegar

1 Tbls Red curry paste

1 ea lime, zest, and juice

1 Tbls Coconut sugar or Palm sugar

200 gram shiitake mushrooms, sliced

1 Liter or 32oz of Chicken stock

400 ml or 13oz (1 can) Coconut milk

1 bunch Scallion, sliced

1 bunch Cilantro Chopped, stems and leaves

Salt and black pepper to season with

Optional: 1 cup diced butternut squash and 1 cup green beans, cut into 1/4

This recipe is made in two parts; the first is to make the broth and then strain the lemongrass.

The second is to bring all the ingredients together. Let’s get going!

Add a thin film of avocado oil to a large pot on medium heat. Add the ginger, garlic, onion, and lemongrass, and saute for 2-3 minutes to bring out the flavor of the vegetables and aromatics. Once this is done, add the curry paste and keep sauteeing for another 1-2 minutes.

Add the chicken stock and the coconut milk, simmer for 5 minutes, and steep for another 10 minutes.

Strain the broth and discard the aromatics and the vegetables.

Bring the broth back to a simmer, add the butternut squash, and cook for a few minutes before adding the mushrooms and the green beans.

Season with lime juice, lime zest, and sugar.

At last, add the sliced scallions and the chopped cilantro

Additionally, I add beef or chicken meatballs into the soup just before the butternut squash and then cook the meatballs in the soup to cook them through and add flavor to the meatballs, especially if you allow the soup to sit overnight and reheat the next day!

This is a great recipe to show how to prepare the base, add veggies, and season as you want the broth to finish. If you season as you go and then reduce the soup, it will become too salty or spicy.