Forget Simmering For Hours: This Flavorful Thai Soup Comes Together In Just 30 Mins
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The cold weather brings with it a host of festive delights, but one of our favorite milestones accompanying the first chill of the winter is the kickoff of #soupszn. From a three-ingredient easy tomato soup we can spin up in the blender to a crockpot soup we can set and forget, we get especially hype over soups that don't require hours of babysitting, fussing, and stirring. Not only do us home cooks live busy lives, but who wants to be teased for half a day before getting to consume delicious soup? (Not us!)
One of our favorite Foodie recipes is homemade tom kha gai, or Thai coconut chicken soup. Like the brothy, noodly version you might sip when you're sick, the Thai version features cozy heartiness made more interesting with bright pops of piquant flavor: lemongrass, fish sauce, and galangal, an Asian pantry staple that puts one in mind of ginger with its spice and fragrance. Tom kha gai has a natural meatiness not only from juicy bites of chicken thighs, but also from king oyster and shiitake mushrooms.
The broth, which smells as good as it tastes, has a coconut milk base. If your mouth is already watering, keep in mind that we haven't even shared the best part: once you complete your mise en place, this meal only takes half an hour to cook, with just 20 minutes devoted to simmering. That makes it an ideal candidate for a weeknight dinner that will warm you up after a crazy day working, running errands, and driving around.
You can play around with tom kha gai without increasing the cooking time
While some dull soups need a boost of flavor from unexpected ingredients, tom kha gai delivers bold, delicious taste straight from the recipe card. That doesn't mean you can't unleash your inner kitchen wizard and get creative with the preparation, though. There are a host of ways to make this Thai soup your own while still keeping it speedy. The biggest and most obvious swap is the star of the dish: the protein. Shrimp or tofu are two quick-cooking alternatives, for instance. Want to make the soup extra bulky? Throw some jasmine rice in your rice cooker — we love the simplicity and lightness of Aroma's basic three-cup model — and scoop some into your bowl before ladling the soup on top.
The essence of tom kha gai is a balance of sweetness, spice, and umami flavors, so feel free to make sensible additions to your soup. Some shallots or white onion wouldn't be amiss, we think, nor would rough-chopped bok choy added at the last minute to wilt before serving. Veggies play beautifully with this soup, so don't be afraid to add bell pepper, broccoli florets, slivers of bell pepper, and handfuls of Napa cabbage. Want some crunch? How about sliced water chestnuts? These aren't all strictly authentic ingredients, but we think they preserve the spirit of the dish. Half the fun of tom kha gai is how you garnish your bowl, so be sure to put out lime wedges, bean sprouts, cilantro, and sriracha so that everyone around the table can put the perfect finishing touches on their quick, yummy dinner!