THAI SOUP WITH GINGER AND COCONUT
With chicken, make a stock by simmering the chicken in a large stock pot. Cover with water, and add any vegetable parings as you prepare the vegetables. Remove the chicken after about 30 minutes. Cool and then shred the meat. Strain the broth and set aside 8 cups.
Vegetarian broth can be made from the vegetable parings. For this recipe, use some ginger, lemongrass and garlic to flavor the broth.
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp grated fresh ginger
1 pc lemongrass, diced, or pinch of dry lemongrass powder
2 tsp red Thai curry paste, to taste
2 tsp salt
3 shallots, sliced
6 piece diakon, halved and sliced on a diagonal
2 carrots, halved and sliced on a diagonal
1 c coconut milk
8 c broth (chicken or vegetable)
2 tbsp fish sauce (or tamari for vegetarian)
1 cake tofu, drained & cubed
or
chicken from one bird
1 # pac choi, cut into shreds
Chopped fresh cilantro for garnish
1 lime cut in wedges
Hot sauce
Combine the garlic, ginger, lemongrass, curry paste and salt together in a small bowl to make paste. Heat the oil in a soup pot over medium heat and add this spice paste and the shallots. Sweat for a few minutes, and then add the coconut milk, daikon and carrots. Simmer gently for 5 minutes, add the broth, fish sauce/tamari, and tofu or chicken. Simmer until vegetables are tender, adding the pac choi at the very end. Garnish with cilantro and a squeeze of lime. Add hot sauce to taste.
You could serve this with rice or noodles, if you like.
So, as promised, here's another great greens recipe. This is a dish shared with me by Barry at the Buffalo Mt Coop in Hardwick. He was having his lunch while I was shopping. It looked so yummy he gave me a bite. The sweet flavor of the caramelized onions really shines through, and kale is especially good here. I’m sure I’ve changed it some since then, but that's the evolution of cooking!