This soup recipe was from a simple country girl who went to work for a restaurateur. He found that her soup was better than his!
The recipe relies on the proportions of each and the thick coconut milk. There is a small “catch” in the back of the throat attests to the chili content, but the coconut milk smooths this out. The lack of bones in the chicken pieces elevates this soup from peasant fare.
| Ingredients | Serves 4 |
| Sliced chicken breast fillet | 500 gms |
| Tom Kha paste (Lobo) | 1 packet |
| Coconut milk (cream) | 600 ml |
| Lemongrass cut into 1 cm pieces | 1 small stick |
| Lemon or lime juice | 10 ml |
| Chili (chopped, no seeds) | 2 medium |
| Fish sauce | 50 ml |
| Sugar | 3 tspns |
| Lime leaves | 1 |
| Water | 1 cup |
| Straw mushrooms (whole, canned) | 50 gm |
| Coriander (fresh, shredded) | 1 tbspn |
Cooking Method
Put coconut milk and Tom Kha paste into a pot and bring to the boil – about 2 minutes.
Add chicken breast pieces and bring to the boil again over a medium heat – about 5 minutes.
Add the rest of the ingredients, other than the coriander, and boil for another 2 minutes over medium heat.
This can be served immediately, if in a hurry, or allowed to simmer for a while to enhance the spiciness.
Sprinkle the coriander over the soup just before serving.
