thai-style chicken coconut soup with lemon & lime

Name: Thai-style Chicken Coconut Soup with Lemon & Lime
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Yield: 3
Cuisine: Thai
Ingredients: 3 to 4 cup(s) chicken broth (preferably homemade to avoid a too-salty soup); 1 bunch(es) fine rice noodles, ramen noodles or vermicelli; 1 can(s) straw mushrooms, drained and cut in half (other canned or thinly sliced raw mushrooms may be substituted); 1/2 cup(s) red bell pepper, julienned; 1 medium lemon, juice only (optionally add the zest); 1 medium lime, juice only (optionally add the zest but this can be bitter); 8 ounce(s) cooked chicken, roughly chopped; 1 tablespoon(s) thai fish sauce (nam pla, sometimes called thai seasoning sauce); 2 to 3 dash(es) tabasco (as a substitute for thai chiles); 1 to 2 tablespoon(s) grated fresh ginger; 1 can(s) coconut milk, unsweetened (light okay); 1 to 2 tablespoon(s) brown sugar (if needed to adjust tartness); 2 cup(s) fresh spinach, basil or cilantro, coarsely chopped

(1 RATING)

148 Pinches 1 Photo

Heidi Hoerman

Hingham, MA

Updated on Oct 2, 2011

This soup, reminiscent of Tom Kha Gai, is made with easily found ingredients. Like many a homemade soup, you can vary the soup according to what you have at hand and substitute as I did. You can even substitute turkey for chicken. "Tom-kha-gai" roughly translates to "soup-galangal-chicken." Galangal is a root similar to ginger. Other ingredients of a true Tom kha gai include Keffir lime leaves and lemon grass. There are many more-authentic recipes for Tom Kha Gai on the Web and it is from these I got my inspiration.

Rate

prep time 10 Min

cook time 10 Min

method Stove Top

yield 3-4 serving(s)

Ingredients

3 to 4 cups chicken broth (preferably homemade to avoid a too-salty soup)
1 bunch fine rice noodles, ramen noodles or vermicelli
1 can straw mushrooms, drained and cut in half (other canned or thinly sliced raw mushrooms may be substituted)
1/2 cup red bell pepper, julienned
1 medium lemon, juice only (optionally add the zest)
1 medium lime, juice only (optionally add the zest but this can be bitter)
8 ounces cooked chicken, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon thai fish sauce (nam pla, sometimes called thai seasoning sauce)
2 to 3 dashes tabasco (as a substitute for thai chiles)
1 to 2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
1 can coconut milk, unsweetened (light okay)
1 to 2 tablespoons brown sugar (if needed to adjust tartness)
2 cups fresh spinach, basil or cilantro, coarsely chopped

How To Make thai-style chicken coconut soup with lemon & lime

Step 1

In a medium soup pot, bring chicken broth to a simmer and add the noodles. Let the noodles simmer slowly as you prepare and add the other ingredients. Note: if you are using fresh mushrooms, slice them thinly and give them a five-minute head start in the boiling broth before adding the noodles.

Step 2

Add the rest of ingredients (but not the spinach, cilantro, or basil) to the broth. Simmer slowly.
Step 3

After the mixture has simmered for about 5 minutes, taste and adjust the seasoning with Thai fish sauce (for saltiness), Tabasco and ginger (for heat) and brown sugar (for sweetness). If you wish to add a stronger taste of lemon or more bitterness from the lime, add in some zest of each.
Step 4

As soon as the noodles are done, add the spinach, cilantro or basil. Simmer one more minute and serve hot.
Last Step: Don't forget to share! Post a picture of your finished recipe here and on your favorite social network. Don't forget to tag Just A Pinch and include #justapinchrecipes!

Discover More

Comment & Reviews

Just A Pinch Sweepstakes