Dang’s Thai Coconut Soup

INGREDIENTS

1.5 cups water
1 stalk lemongrass (cut end off, peel first layer away & wash)
1 piece galanga (roughly 4″ piece)
6 kaffir leaves, approximate (lime leaves)
1 can coconut milk
2 tablespoons chili paste
1 tablespoon Tom Yum paste
1/4 lb chicken breast, thinly sliced
1/4 cabbage
6 tablespoon sugar **TIP: If soup is too sour, add more sugar
2 tablespoons salt
1/4 to 1/2 cup lime juice (to taste)
1 tablespoon bullion
1 cup white mushrooms **TIP: don’t use the mushroom stalks, it will cook too much and break
1 handful of cilantro (for garnish)
4-6 stems green onions (for garnish)

INSTRUCTIONS

STEP 1. Rinse lemongrass and galanga under water to ensure any dirt is removed. Cut both the lemongrass and galanga into 1-2 inch pieces.

STEP 2. Remove the stem of the kaffir leaves and tear large leaves in half.

STEP 3. Place 1/2 cup water in a pot and bring to a boil. Add kaffir leaves, lemongrass, and galanga to the pot, boil for one minute.

STEP 4. Add can of coconut milk to boiling water. Fill an empty coconut milk can half way with water (roughly 1 cup of water) swirl water around in the can cleaning the remaining coconut milk and add to pot.

STEP 5. Add 2 tablespoons of chili paste to pot (make sure you get stir the chili paste to get both chili and oil, they naturally separate in the container)

STEP 6. Add 1 teaspoon of Tom Yum paste to pot, bring to a boil

STEP 7. Cut the chicken in thin bit sized strips roughly the same size, set aside

STEP 8. Rough chop the cabbage into pieces about 1 inch by 2 inches, set aside

STEP 9. Once the soup comes to a boil, add chicken in bite size pieces. Continue watching soup as to not over cook chicken. Add the cabbage and 6 tablespoons of sugar, 2 tablespoons of salt, 1/2 cup fresh squeezed lime juice and 1 tablespoon bullion. TIP: You know the soup is done when everythng turns a little yellow and the green goes away

STEP 10. Clean the mushrooms by running them under water, and cut them in quarters. In the last few minutes of cooking add mushroom pieces.

Serve warm garnished with green onion and cilantro. (Serves 4 people)
For a vegetarian version just remove the chicken and replace with tofu and remove the chicken bullion.