Recipe: Mew's Tom Kha Gai Soup

Cooking hasn’t always been a passion of mine. I didn’t work in the kitchen with my mom or take notes of recipes that my grandmother made because I just didn’t have much interest.

It wasn’t until I became a wife and mom that I started finding my way around the kitchen. Some of my signature dishes were tacos, cheese dip and spaghetti. I loved making these dishes because they were quick, convenient and easy and let’s be honest it was the extent of my cooking abilities.

I started diving deeper into cooking after my family and I explored different restaurants. I would laugh and sarcastically say, “I think I could make this” and while I never attempted to do so, it still inspired me in so many ways.

I started researching recipes and making dishes that I knew my small family would enjoy. Being in the kitchen brought me so much joy and happiness. I loved watching my family indulging in yummy meals.

In honor of National Cooking Day (Sept. 25), I decided to catch up with my friends Mew and Currie who are owners and operators of Eat Thai Raleigh. We had a great conversation over coffee and talked about their love of Thai food. Currie shared about how he traveled to Thailand and eventually met Mew. Mew grew up in Thailand and always cooked with her family so they both decided to start cooking classes and share their love for food on their Instagram @eatthairaleigh.

I asked Mew and Currie to share with me one of their easiest and favorite recipes to make. They chose Tom Kha Soup, a traditional soup made in Thailand. It is considered a hot and sour soup because of the fresh lime juice and it has a base of broth and coconut milk. You will normally find a mixture of proteins in this soup like chicken, shrimp and mushrooms. The soup is flavored with galangal, lemongrass, onions, shallots, kaffir lime leaves, cilantro, turmeric, palm sugar, fish sauce and lime juice.

My son Miles and I have both had Tom Kha Gai Soup and it's one of our favorites. We love all the flavors that come through the soup when it hits our palates. It is the perfect blend of spice, creaminess and savory flavors. Thai cuisine is one of our favorites and I am so excited to celebrate Cooking Day using Mew’s authentic Tom Kha Soup recipe. In a couple of weeks our family will invite Mew and Currie into our home kitchen to do a cooking class. You can find out more about booking a class with them on their website.

Recipe: Mew’s Tom Kha Gai Soup

Ingredients

• 32oz coconut milk
• 16 oz water
• 1.5 lbs sliced chicken thighs (sliced thin)
• 1 lb mushrooms (sliced)
• 4 inch piece of galangal (sliced thin)
• 4 stalks of lemongrass (chopped into 1 inch sections
• 7 pearl onions or 2 shallots (sliced)
• Thai chilis to taste
• 1/4 bunch of cilantro (roughly chopped)
• 4 cilantro leaves (roughly chopped)
• 1.5 tbsp turmeric
• 1.5 tbsp lime juice
• 1.5 tbsp palm sugar
• 6 tbsp fish sauce
• 12 kaffir lime leaves (stems removed)

Instructions:

• Bring water to a boil
• Add turmeric, galangal, lemongrass, pearl onions (or shallots) and 6 kaffir lime leaves
• Bring back to boil
• Add chicken and boil 10 minutes, do not stir
• Remove fat on surface as desired
• Add mushrooms
• Once boiling again, add 24 oz of coconut milk, palm sugar, and fish sauce
• Stir for three minutes
• Add remaining coconut milk
• Add lime juice, culantro, thai chili, and cilantro
• Taste and add ingredients to taste

Kiara Ruth is a mom to Miles who is 7 years and the wife to Terrance Ruth who is a professor at NC State. Kiara and her family recently rescued a dog, Oakley who is 3 years old. She blogs about her family via the Banana Moon blog.