Thai-Style Chicken Soup with Basil: 2000s Recipes + Menus : gourmet.com

2000s Recipes + Menus

Serves4 to 6 (main course)

Active time:45 min
Start to finish:1 1/2 hr (not including making stock)

February 2009

It’s hard to understand why a soup that looks so simple needs to include so many ingredients. Why not just stir in a dollop of store-bought Thai curry paste instead and call it a day? One spoonful will reveal the answer: This soup has many layers in its complexity, but the overall effect is of cleanness and freshness—in short, well worth a trip to an Asian market. Adding a generous amount of chicken and serving the soup over jasmine rice might not be strictly traditional, but it transforms it into a satisfying meal.

2 fresh lemongrass stalks, root end trimmed and 1 or 2 outer layers discarded
2 large shallots, thinly sliced
2 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 qt rich and flavorful chicken stock; or 5 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth diluted with 3 cups water
1 (14-oz) can diced tomatoes in juice, drained, reserving juice
2 oz tamarind from a pliable block (a 2-inch cube), chopped
3 tablespoons Asian fish sauce
2 (2-inch-long) fresh Thai chiles, thinly sliced
2 fresh or frozen Kaffir lime leaves
1 (2-inch) piece peeled ginger, thinly sliced
1 lb skinless boneless chicken breast
1/4 lb snow peas, sliced 1/4 inch thick
1/3 cup packed basil leaves (preferably Thai)

Accompaniment:

cooked jasmine rice

Cut off and discard top of lemongrass, leaving 6-inch stalks, then finely chop. Cook lemongrass, shallots, and garlic in oil in a large heavy pot over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until well browned, 12 to 15 minutes.
Add stock, reserved tomato juice, tamarind, fish sauce, chiles, lime leaves, and ginger and simmer, uncovered, 30 minutes.
While soup simmers, freeze chicken breast just until slightly firm, 20 to 30 minutes, then thinly slice crosswise.
Strain stock through a fine-mesh sieve into a large saucepan, pressing hard on and then discarding solids. Return to a simmer and stir in chicken, diced tomatoes, snow peas, and basil. Gently simmer just until chicken is cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes. Season with additional fish sauce and salt.

Cooks’ notes:

Soup, without chicken, diced tomatoes, snow peas, and basil, can be made 3 days ahead and chilled (covered once cool).
We’ve also got a web-exclusive recipe using the leftover tamarind.

Recipe by Ruth Cousineau

Photograph by Mikkel Vang

Keywords: ruth cousineau,; thai,; soup,; poultry,; buy this make that

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More 2000s Recipes + Menus

Video

Watch chef Floyd Cardoz demystify tamarind and explain how it can be used as a substitute for lemon, lime, or vinegar. Then try it in Seared Fish with Maple Tamarind Glaze and Goan Shrimp in Roasted-Coconut Sauce (pictured).