THAI COCONUT CHICKEN SOUP

https://www.gimmesomeoven.com/tom-kha-gai/
YIELD: 8 SERVINGS
TOM KHA GAI (THAI COCONUT CHICKEN SOUP)

Learn how to make authentic Tom Kha Gai (Thai Coconut Chicken Soup) with this delicious and easy recipe!

TOTAL TIME: 35 MINS
PREP TIME: 10 MINS
COOK TIME: 25 MINS

INGREDIENTS:

2 stalks fresh lemongrass, tough outer layers removed (I omit this)
2 tablespoons grated (or finely-chopped) fresh ginger
1/4 cup fresh lime juice or 10 kaffir lime leaves*
6 cups good-quality chicken stock
4 green onions, thinly-sliced with the white and green parts separated
2 cups cooked shredded chicken
8 ounces white, shiitake, or oyster mushrooms (or you could use a combination of your favorites), sliced
2 (13.5-ounce) cans coconut milk
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1-3 teaspoons coconut sugar, to taste (or use another favorite sweetener)
toppings: 

fresh cilantro, 

thinly-sliced Thai red chiles**, 

fresh lime wedges, etc.

DIRECTIONS:

Using the back of a knife, lightly smash the lemongrass on a cutting board. Cut the lemongrass into 1-inch pieces, and add to a large stockpot.
Add lemongrass, ginger, fresh lime juice (or kaffir lime leaves), chicken broth, and the white parts of the green onions to the stockpot, and stir to combine. Bring to a boil over high heat. Then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Strain out the broth and discard the solids, then return the broth to the stockpot.
Add cooked chicken, mushrooms, coconut milk, fish sauce, and sugar, and stir to combine. Increase heat to medium-high until it reaches a simmer, then continue cooking for 1-2 more minutes until the mushrooms are cooked and softened, stirring occasionally. Taste and season with salt and pepper, if needed.
Serve immediately, garnished liberally with your desired toppings and the green parts of the green onions.

*Kaffir limes offer a more complex/authentic flavor to this dish, but can be hard to find. So if they’re unavailable at your local store, feel free to just use fresh lime juice.

**If you can’t find fresh chiles, you can sub in some hot chili oil or sriracha, or even some crushed red chile flakes.

***I also add a few vegetables, such as thinly-sliced red bell peppers and split peas, to this soup for extra color and nutrition. If you’d like to add these, just add them along with the chicken/mushrooms/etc., and let the soup continue to simmer until they’re cooked through.

Recipe slightly adapted from Bon Appetit. All images and text ©Gimme Some Oven

Hot and Sour Soup

https://www.gimmesomeoven.com/hot-and-sour-soup-recipe/

YIELD: 6-8 SERVINGS

This classic Chinese hot and sour soup recipe is quick and easy to make, full of delicious flavor, easy to make vegetarian (with tofu!) or with pork, and it totally rivals any soup I’ve tried at a Chinese restaurant!

TOTAL TIME: 20 MINS

 

PREP TIME: 5 MINS

 

COOK TIME: 15 MINS

INGREDIENTS:

• 8 cups chicken or vegetable stock
• 8 ounces shiitake mushrooms (or baby bella mushrooms), thinly-sliced with stems discarded
• optional: 1 (8-ounce) can bamboo shoots, drained
• 1/4 cup rice vinegar, or more to taste
• 1/4 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon chili garlic sauce
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 2 large eggs, whisked
• 8 ounces firm tofu*, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 4 green onions (scallions), thinly sliced
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• Kosher salt and black pepper (or white pepper**)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Set aside ¼ cup of the chicken or vegetable stock for later use.
2. Add the remaining 7 ¾ cups chicken or vegetable stock, mushrooms, bamboo shoots (if using), rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, ginger and chili garlic sauce to a large stock pot, and stir to combine.  Heat over medium-high heat until the soup reaches a simmer.
3. While the soup is heating, whisk together the ¼ cup of stock (that you had set aside) and cornstarch in a small bowl until completely smooth.  Once the soup has reached a simmer, stir in the cornstarch mixture and stir for 1 minute or so until the soup has thickened.
4. Continue stirring the soup in a circular motion, then drizzle in the eggs in a thin stream (while still stirring the soup) to create egg ribbons.  Stir in the tofu, half of the green onions, and sesame oil.  Then season the soup with salt and black pepper (or white pepper) to taste.  If you’d like a more “sour” soup, feel free to add in another tablespoon or two of rice wine vinegar as well.  Or if you’d like a spicier soup, add in more chili garlic sauce.
5. Serve immediately, garnished with the extra green onions.

*Or, you’re welcome to make this with pork instead of tofu.  Just add in a half pound of cooked pork — ground pork, or you can thinly-slice pork chops or pork loin — in place of the tofu.

**I actually prefer using a pinch of white pepper in this soup instead of black pepper.  But in case you’ve never used it, be careful — it has a much stronger and different flavor than black pepper!  So start with less, and then you can always add more.  :)