Thai is one of my favorite cuisines and I always look forward to dinner at one of the several excellent Thai restaurants in my area. Many of my favorite dishes I would never attempt to make at home…to complex for one reason or another…but there are a few favorites that are so easy to prepare in my own kitchen. If the long list of ingredients in many Thai recipes puts you off don’t worry about it. Most are available in mainstream grocery stores and once you have the basics in your pantry you are ready to cook.
Fish sauce, curry paste and coconut milk plus easy to find, lemon grass, cilantro and lime are the basis for many delicious Thai dishes including this very flavorful hearty soup that won’t take more than 20 minutes to put together. I found this recipe at A FEAST FOR THE EYES and it tastes just like one of the best soups at my favorite Thai restaurant. If you haven’t met Debby I urge you to stop by to visit. She is one of the best cooks I know and her German recipes remind me of the wonderful dishes my Mutti used to prepare when I was a child.
If you haven’t cooked with fish sauce or “Nam Pla” before don’t be alarmed. It has a very fishy smell that disappears when combined with other ingredients. It is one of the essential flavors of Thai food. ABOUT.COM has this to say…” Good fish sauces are made from a mixture of fish and salt that has been allowed to ferment for 1 year to 18 months. Anchovies are typically used, although some fish sauces are also made from other types of fish or squid. The basic ingredients of a good fish sauce are: fish, water, and salt. Sugar may also be added, but isn’t necessary”.
This is a perfect dish to make at home if you love Thai food but shy away from recipes because they seem too complicated. The flavorful broth is easy to make and the chicken and vegetables simmer in it until done. Curry paste is added at the end and it’s very easy to regulate the heat of the dish…so don’t worry about getting it too hot. Debby suggests serving this soup with rice…which I thought was delicious…and next time I might add a sprinkle of chopped peanuts along with the garnish.
- 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
- 3 stalks lemon grass - tough outer leaves removed, bottom 5 inches halved lengthwise and sliced thin crosswise.
- 3 large shallots, chopped
- 8 sprigs fresh cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped
- 3 tablespoons fish sauce
- 4 cups chicken broth, homemade is best
- 2 14-oz cans unsweetened coconut milk, well-shaken (I used 1 can in this recipe)
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- ½ pound white mushrooms, cleaned, stems trimmed, cut into ¼ inch slices
- 4-oz fresh green beans, blanched and cut into 1 inch pieces (my addition)
- 3 small Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and quartered (my addition)
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, halved lengthwise and sliced on the bias into ⅛-inch thick pieces
- 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice from 2 to 3 limes
- 2 teaspoons red curry paste
- ½ cup fresh cilantro leave
- 2 serrano chiles, thinly sliced (Optional)
- 2 scallions, thinly sliced on the bias
- 1 lime, cut into wedges
- Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add lemon grass, shallots, cilantro, and 1 tablespoon fish sauce; cook, stirring frequently, until softened, 2 to 5 minutes (vegetables should not brown).
- Stir in chicken broth and 1 can coconut milk; bring to a simmer over high heat. Cover. Reduce heat to low and simmer until flavors have blended, about 10 minutes.
- Pour the broth through a fine-mesh strainer and discard solids in strainer. Rinse saucepan and return broth mixture to pan.
- Return pan to medium-high heat. Stir remaining can coconut milk and sugar into the broth mixture and bring to a simmer.
- Reduce heat to medium, add mushrooms, green beans and potatoes and cook until tender. Add chicken and cook, stirring constantly, until no longer pink, 1 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Combine lime juice, curry paste and remaining 2 tablespoons fish sauce in a small bowl. Stir into soup. Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with cilantro, chiles and scallions. Serve immediately with lime wedges.
- If desired, serve soup with a scoop of steamed rice.
I’m with you, Thai is my favorite Oriental food to eat out and to cook at home. Great looking soup. Pinned!
Lea Ann (Cooking On The Ranch) recently posted..Fresh Crispy Pear Salad SRC Reveal
I must give this a try the next time my BIL comes to dinner. He loves Thai food and I always have a bottle of fish sauce on my shelf. Beautiful soup Cathy.
Sam
Sam @ My Carolina Kitchen recently posted..Roasted Squash, Potatoes, & Pomegranate Salad over Arugula featured on BuzzFeed
Cathy, what a wonderful honor it is to see one of my favorite soups– and thank you for the compliment. It is I who never misses reading one of your posts. Gosh, I wish we lived closer. Can you imagine the dinner parties we’d have?
So glad you enjoyed this soup. I love the idea of adding peanuts, as a garnish. I’m going to borrow that, next time I make this! Hugs to you, Debby
This looks so delicious! Pinning!
Julia recently posted..Roses in the Snow Crepe Rolls
A divine tasty one pot dinner,…so wonderfully fragrant too! Yum yum yumm! 🙂
Sophie recently posted..Vegan Morrocan inspired dinner!
Great sounding soup Cathy and I really like your presentation.
Larry recently posted..2014 Florida Trip – Salmon Pasta With Sun-Dried Tomatoes
I bet it’s delish!
I stocked up on asian products today..we were in one of mys favorite shops~
Monique recently posted..Stamping up~ Cookie Talk~
I’ve never had Thai food Cathy, your soup sounds very tasty! I’ve used coconut milk in rice pudding and would love to taste it in a soup:@)
Happier Than A Pig in Mud recently posted..Red Bell Pepper Heart Deviled Eggs
Cathy: Thai is one of my favorite cuisines. This looks and sounds very much like one of my favorite soups!! Even though I have three Thai cookbooks (in case all the Thai restaurants close for some reason), I’ve never done any of the recipes yet. That needs to change.
Best,
Bonnie
Cathy, I wish I had a large steaming bowl f this right now! It sound divine! I wonder if you could ship it in a thermos to Florida???
xo
Sheila
I do no t now too much about Thai food, but my husband just adores it. I will have to give this one a try-thanks for the inspiration. It looks wonderful.
This sounds really different and sometimes different is good! I’m going to give this a try.
– Alma, The Tablescaper
This sounds like a very nice flavorful and filling soup. You are right, most all Thai ingredients are easy to find…even in our rural area.
Karen (Back Road Journal) recently posted..Florida, The Sunshine State
I love Thai food second to only Italian food. Since I’ve never thought to have the skills to properly prepare Thai recipes, we’ve always gone out to our local Thai eateries…..this is one of my favorite soups on the planet, having indulged in it in Bangkok. Your instructions sound as if I can truly make this at home and I will certainly print this off and try it, Cathy. Thank you!!!!
xo
Roz
Roz recently posted..Fudgy Dark Chocolate Brownies with Raspberry Sauce #Sunday Supper
I love so many international cuisines but if I had to pick one favorite, it would probably be Thai. This soup looks wonderful Cathy, I could eat something like this everyday!
This recipe doesn’t look too bad. I tend to not make complicated ones.
I am intimidated by cooking Thai food too. I am also wary of fish sauce because, well, it sounds unpleasant. I need to get over it! This soup looks absolutely delicious Cathy… Bookmarked.
Pam recently posted..Valentines Day Recipe Round-Up
Maybe a long grocery list, but worth it I am sure! Looks delicious.
I love Thai food too. We have a favorite Thai restaurant where we order take out quite often. I always seem to have a hard time finding lemongrass when I try to cook Thai at home. But this looks like a delicious soup to try.
Penny recently posted..Tortilla Soup For A Snowy Day
Love the flavors in this soup! Plan to make it this week!
A Couple in the Kitchen recently posted..Slow Cooker Cuban Pork for Secret Recipe Club
I also find Thai food so wonderfully flavorful, Cathy! This looks so delicious, and if I can find fish sauc e and lemon grass here i will try making it as I know my husband and I will love it!
Pat @ Mille Fiori Favoriti recently posted..Draft Horse Show at the National Western Stock Show, Denver, Colorado
I remember the first time I used anchovies in a recipe (I don’t like them, at all!). They melted into the mixture and I doubt anyone could have named them as an ingredient. So agree completely about fish sauce.
Can’t wait to try your soup, Cathy! It looks marvelous. Super photo too!
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