Tom Ka Kai Soup Recipes

Steps:

• In the bottom of a large soup pot, heat the oil over high heat until very hot but not smoking. I often make this is a wok on the stove.
• Salt the chicken and add to oil, tossing to brown all the pieces. Cook about 3 minutes or until outside is browned, but not necessarily cooked all the way through.
• Add mushrooms and toss. Allow to cook until some of the moisture is cooked out and the mushrooms are soft. Turn down heat to medium-low.
• To prepare the lemongrass, slice and mince the lower portion and reserve the stalk to flavor the soup. You can use a food processor for this, or just mince it by hand. The woody upper portion of the stalk will be removed later, so don't chop it up, simply score it by making a few superficial cuts in it to allow it to flavor the soup.
• Add the whites of the onions, reserving the greens. Add the minced lower portion of the lemongrass, grated galangal, and chilies. Toss until just warmed through.
• Add the lemongrass stalk, lime leaves, chicken stock, coconut milk, lime juice, fish sauce, brown sugar and remaining onions, reserving just a few for garnish. Simmer over low heat for 15 minutes to allow flavors to blend well.
• Taste test and adjust flavors as follows:.
• Not salty enough - add more fish sauce.
• Too sour - add a little more brown sugar.
• Too spicy - add more coconut milk.
• Not spicy enough - add more chilies.
• Ladle into 4 soup bowls and garnish with remaining onion greens, cilantro, and basil.
• Variations:.
• Add more vegetables such as some sliced red bell peppers with the mushrooms.
• Serve over wide rice noodles for a main dish serving.
• Make vegetarian by increasing mushrooms in place of chicken and substituting vegetable stock.

Steps:

• In medium to large saucepan, bring to boil ALL ingredients EXCEPT garlic, red chili, ginger root, cilantro, chicken, and half and half cream.
• Meanwhile, chop the remaining ingredients (except chicken and half and half cream) finely in chopping machine, then add this to the pot.
• Chop and boil the chicken pieces in the soup for around 5 minutes or until fully cooked.
• Add the half-and-half cream to the soup and stir constantly to avoid curdling for around three minutes.
• Remove lemon grass root upon serving, or tell victims to remove before eating the soup!
• Serve soup warm or hot.
• NOTE: fish sauce, oyster sauce, Tom Yum paste may be purchased at a Thai or Chinese market. Also, sometimes your local store will carry these items.

Steps:

• Cut chicken into thin strips and saute in oil for to 2 to 3 minutes until the chicken turns white.
• In a pot, bring coconut milk and water to a boil. Reduce heat. Add ginger, fish sauce, lime juice, cayenne powder and turmeric. Simmer until the chicken is done, 10 to 15 minutes.
• Sprinkle with scallions and fresh cilantro and serve steaming hot.

Steps:

• Bring coconut milk and chicken stock to a boil in a pot over high heat. Reduce heat to medium. Add cilantro, lemongrass, galangal, Thai chile peppers, and kaffir lime leaves; simmer for 5 minutes.
• Increase heat to medium-high heat. Add chicken; simmer until no longer pink in the center, about 7 minutes. Stir in cabbage; cook until wilted, about 3 minutes. Remove soup from heat; stir in lime juice and fish sauce.

Steps:

• Devein lime leaves and cut into very thin slices; set aside.
• Combine chicken broth and coconut milk in a large pot; bring to a boil. Add chiles, galangal, and ginger and simmer over medium heat for 10 to 15 minutes. Add chicken, sliced lime leaves, and lemon grass and continue to cook until chicken is no longer pink in the centers, about 10 minutes.
• Turn off the heat and add the drained straw mushrooms, fish sauce, sugar, and lime juice. Stir well, and serve with plenty of fresh cilantro on top as a garnish.

Steps:

• To prepare the lemongrass, slice and mince the lower portion and reserve the stalk to flavor the soup. You can use a food processor for this, or just mince it by hand. The woody upper portion of the stalk will be removed later, so don't chop it up, simply score it or bruise it. In a large saucepan, combine coconut milk, stock, galangal, lemongrass, basil and lime leaves and 3/4 of the cilantro(rest is saved for garnish). Bring to a boil. Add chicken, mushrooms, fish sauce, sugar and chili peppers, and curry paste. Bring to a boil again. Reduce heat and add lime juice. Soup is ready when chicken is fully cooked. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary. Remove herbs and ladle into individual bowls or leave in but let everyone know that the basil leaves and lemongrass stalks and galangal are for flavor, not to eat . Garnish with cilantro leaves and 1 chili pepper per bowl.

Steps:

• Combine half the coconut milk with the galangal, lemon grass, and lime leaves in a large sauce pan and heat to boiling.
• Add chicken, fish sauce, and sugar.
• Simmer for about 4 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked, and then add the remaining coconut milk.
• Heat just to boiling and turn off the heat.
• Place the lime juice and chilli paste in a serving bowl and pour the soup over them.
• Garnish with coriander leaves and crushed chillies.