A take on tom kha gai, this soup blends warming spices like galangal and lemongrass with the goodness that all chicken soups offer.
Ingredients (serves 3-4)
300g unpolished or brown rice noodles
1.5l water or chicken stock
thumb-sized piece of galangal, sliced
2 stalks of lemongrass, cut in half, then bruised with the back of a knife
2 shallots, peeled, sliced
1-2 red chillies, to taste, seeds removed, chopped
2 Kaffir lime leaves (optional)
2 medium (around 250g) chicken breasts, skinless, boneless, sliced
200g mixed mushrooms, cleaned
16 cherry tomatoes, halved
200g asparagus, trimmed
200ml coconut milk
zest and juice ½ lime
2 tsp fish sauce
Method
1 Cook the rice noodles according to the packet instructions, drain and set aside.
2 Place the water or stock, galangal, lemongrass, shallots, chillies and Kaffir lime leaves in a large saucepan and bring to a boil over a medium heat. Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes.
3 Stir in the chicken and mushrooms, and cook over a medium-low heat for 7-8 minutes.
4 Stir in the tomatoes, asparagus, coconut milk and lime zest. Bring back to the boil, then season to taste with fish sauce and lime juice.
5 Divide the noodles and soup between four bowls. Serve with extra chilli and lime on the side.
Nutritional information per serving (3): 294kcal, 1246kJ, 37.3g protein, 3.2g fat, 30.7g carbohydrates, 5.8g fibre