4 servings

Hands on: 30 minutes

EMAIL THIS PRINT THIS MOST POPULAR
Related: • More on food and drink • Search ajc.com's recipes

Total time: 45 minutes

Turn this rich, aromatic soup into a light meal by ladling over a bowl of steamed jasmine rice. Galangal, also called galanga, is a member of the ginger family that has a mustardlike bite. Galangal, kaffir lime leaves and lemon grass stalks are available in Asian grocery stores and the DeKalb Farmers Market.

4 lemon grass stalks, roots trimmed

2 14-ounce cans coconut milk (or light coconut milk)

2 cups chicken stock

1 (l-inch) piece fresh galangal, peeled and thinly sliced

10 black peppercorns, crushed

10 kaffir lime leaves, torn (divided use)

8 ounces skinless, boneless chicken breast portions, cut into thin strips

1 cup white mushrooms, halved if large

3 to 4 baby corn cobs, quartered lengthways (optional)

1/4 cup fresh lime juice

3 tablespoons Thai fish sauce

Salt to taste

2 fresh red Thai chiles, chopped

1 green onion, chopped

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Cut off the lower 2 inches from each lemon grass stalk and chop it finely. Bruise the remaining pieces of stalk with the flat edge of a large knife. In a large pan over medium heat, bring the coconut milk and chicken stock to boil in a large pan. Add the chopped and bruised lemon grass, galangal, peppercorns and half the kaffir lime leaves; reduce the heat to low and simmer gently for 10 minutes. Strain the soup into a clean pan.

Return the soup to a simmer over medium heat, then stir in the chicken, mushrooms and corn. Simmer gently, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is cooked, about 5 minutes.

Stir in the lime juice and fish sauce, then add the remaining lime leaves. Season with salt to taste. Ladle into warm bowls and serve garnished with chopped chiles, green onions and cilantro.

— Adapted from "Thai: The Essence of Asian Cooking" by Judy Bastyra (Hermes House)

Per serving: 581 calories (percent of calories from fat, 74), 19 grams protein, 20 grams carbohydrates, 6 grams fiber, 50 grams fat (43 grams saturated), 38 milligrams cholesterol, 1,147 milligrams sodium.