Chicken and Galangal Soup

I often think chicken and galangal soup (tom ka gai) is perhaps the best example of Thai cuisine. Unlike its more famous cousin tom yum the taste of this thick soup is more varied and sublime. The undercurrents given by the galangal, lime juice, lemongrass and pepper make this dish quite remarkable.

Chicken and Galangal Soup
Chicken and Galangal Soup

The first part of the Thai name, tom ka, simply means “boiled galangal” while gai is the Thai word for chicken. Although the meat most commonly used in this soup is chicken, tom ka can also be made with fish, shellfish and other poultry, but the somewhat delicate flavour doesn't hold up well against beef or pork.

As with several other Thai dishes, your main challenge here, aside from the herbs and spices, will be the straw mushrooms. Even in Bangkok, they seem to be disappearing from the markets in favor of sturdier 'foreign' varieties. For the photo, I had to resort to canned mushrooms, which better approximate the taste and texture that other types of fresh ones.

Ingredients

Servings: 4

1/2 cup Straw mushrooms
3 oz sliced Chicken breast meat
1 cup Coconut Milk
1/2 cup Chicken stock
1 tbsp Lime juice
1 tbsp Fish sauce
10 slices Galangal
1/2 tbsp chopped Lemon grass
1 tsp, ground White pepper
3 leaves Kaffir lime leaves
1/3 tbsp Roasted chili oil

Preparation

  1. Combine coconut milk, Kaffir lime leaves, lemongrass and galangal in a pot and bring to a boil.
  2. Add chicken pieces and mushrooms, and return the mixture to a boil.
  3. Add remaining ingredients: Chicken stock, fish sauce, lime juice, white pepper and roasted chili sauce.
  4. Pour into serving bowl and garnish with a few leaves of coriander.

Nutrition Facts

Servings Per Recipe 4

Amount Per Serving
Calories 251 Calories from Fat 142
Total Fat 16g 24%
Saturated 11g 56%
Cholesterol48mg 16%
Total Carbohydrate11g 4%
Dietary Fiber 2g 6%
Sugars 1g  
Protein 18g