Tom Kha Soup

This soup is so delicious. It is savory, rich and super satisfying. It is a comforting dish when it is cold outside and has complex flavors for not too much time in the kitchen. I have been working on a vegan version for a while now and have found this recipe to hit the spot.

The Thai ingredients are easily found at a specialty grocery store. We have several where I live in Denver, but you could also find them online (Amazon Fresh carries the galangal, lemongrass, wakame, dried shiitake, and the Thai curry paste).

Tom Kha Soup

Ingredients:

1 tsp coconut oil
1/2 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp Thai red curry paste
1 tbsp vegetable bouillon

4 cups of water
aromatics (place in a cheesecloth or tea strainer)
1 tbsp peeled and chopped fresh ginger root
4 rounds of sliced galangal root (omit if you can't find)
4 1 inch pieces of lemongrass (use lemon zest if you don't have lemongrass)

1 carrot, sliced into rounds
1/2 cup dried shitake mushrooms
1 tbsp wakame seaweed
1 leaf kale, chopped small
1/2 tsp sugar

1 can coconut milk
Fresh chopped cilantro
Lime wedges

Directions:

Heat the coconut oil in a saucepan and add the onion to the pan. When the onion begins to soften add the garlic and stir for about a minute before adding the curry paste and bouillon. Stir to coat the onions and garlic and then add the water and the packet of aromatics (ginger, galangal root, and lemongrass).

Then add in the carrot, shitake mushrooms, wakame, kale, and sugar. Bring the soup to a boil and let simmer until the carrots and mushrooms are tender (about 10 minutes or so). Finally, take out the packet of aromatics, stir in the coconut milk, and serve with cilantro, lime, and pan-fried tofu.

Serve with fried tofu, fresh cilantro and a squeeze of lime.