Tom Kha Ghai
Flavourful and aromatic tom kha ghai is an addictive Thai soup the family will love.
Creamy soup flavoured with ginger, lemongrass, and lime, with tender mushrooms and plump shrimp. This delicious Thai soup has a wonderful flavour and mild heat. Spice up your tom kha ghai a little more with a few drops of chili oil when serving.
If you have never used fresh lemongrass, I've included the steps for preparation in the directions. If you have a hard time finding fresh lemongrass at your local grocery store, try any Asian markets. If you still can't find a fresh stalk, check the freezer section. Lemongrass stalks are often sold frozen as well.
If serving for pescatarians, use vegetable broth rather than chicken broth.
Ingredients
(Makes 4 servings)
1 tablespoon avocado oil
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled and minced
1 stalk fresh lemongrass (top green portion only)
2 cups mushrooms, sliced
6 cups low-sodium chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
1 can (400ml) unsweetened coconut milk
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 bay leaves
1lb small to medium-sized shrimp, peeled and deveined
juice of 1 lime
fresh cilantro, for garnish (optional)
4 cherry tomatoes, quartered for garnish (optional)
Directions
Prepare the stalk of lemongrass by trimming off the bulb and peeling off the tough outer layer. The lower, pale portion can be cut off and used in other dishes (purée and freeze to reserve). The top, green portion of the stalk is all that is required for this soup. With a knife, carefully make several shallow cuts along the length of the stalk then flex the stalk to open the cuts. Set aside.
In a large soup pot, over medium-high heat, add the oil and heat. When the oil is hot, add the ginger and sauté for a minute before adding the mushrooms and lemongrass. Continue sautéing until the mushrooms are tender and have released most of their moisture (about 8 to 10 minutes). Add the chicken broth, coconut milk, fish sauce, tomato paste, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil then add the shrimp. Simmer until the shrimp are cooked/opaque (10 to 15 minutes). Remove from heat and stir in the lime juice. Remove the bay leaves and lemongrass stalk, discard.
Serve garnished with fresh cilantro and cherry tomato (optional).
Nutritional Information Per Serving:
total calories = 176.5 | total fat = 7.76g | saturated fat = 2.44g | cholesterol = 107mg | sodium = 949.75mg | net carbohydrates = 7.41g | dietary fibre = 0.7g | sugars = 1.71g | protein = 20.31g
