Tom kha soup Recipe
- 5cm/2in piece galangal or ginger, peeled, roughly chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled
- 1 stalk lemongrass, bruised
- small bunch fresh coriander, leaves chopped, roots reserved
- 1-2 shallots, peeled, quartered
- 1 medium green chilli, seeds removed, roughly chopped
- 3 fresh or 6 dried kaffir lime leaves
- 2 limes, zest only
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 litre/1ž pint boiling water
- 1 chicken or vegetable stock cube
- 400ml/14fl oz coconut milk
- 3 tbsp fish sauce
- 8 tiger or king prawns, shelled, de-veined
- handful enoki mushrooms
- handful shimeji mushrooms
- 4 shiitake mushrooms, chopped
- handful sugar snap peas
- 100g/3½oz soba noodles
- 1-2 limes, juice only, plus more to serve
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- small handful thai basil leaves
- small handful shiso cress
- 1 green chilli, sliced
- For the paste, blend the paste ingredients in a food processor until smooth.
- For the soup, heat the olive oil in a large saucepan and fry the paste over a medium heat for 2-3 minutes.
- Stir in the coconut milk and fish sauce.
- Pour in the boiling water, and crumble in the stock cube.
- Add the prawns, and allow them to cook in the broth for 3-4 minutes, or until the prawns have turned pink and opaque.
- Add the mushrooms and sugar snap peas, and continue to cook for a further 2-3 minutes.
- Cook the soba noodles in a large pan of boiling water following pack instructions, then drain.
- To serve, add the lime juice to the soup and season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Divide the drained noodles between four bowls, and ladle over the soup. Garnish with thai basil leaves, shiso cress, the coriander leaves, and sliced chilli.
- Squeeze over a little more lime juice to taste.