Prep: 15 mins

Cook: 25-30 mins

Serves: 4

This is Thai comfort food! A very tasty soup to have on hand when you come home from work feeling ravenous with no time or energy to cook. You can serve it over freshly made jasmine rice or even cold leftover rice. Put the rice in a big bowl, heat the soup, and pour it over the rice.

The lemongrass, galangal, and Kaffir lime leaves are for flavour, so they aren’t chopped finely as in many recipes. Therefore, I suggest not eating them, as you may well need a dentist afterwards!

It’s also good to note that while it takes some time and effort to make the nam prik pao (roasted chilli paste), you’ll end up with more than you need. Stored properly in an airtight glass jar in the fridge, it will keep for 4-6 months, meaning that next time you make this dish it will take just a fraction of the time.

Method:

Make the roasted chilli paste (nam prik pao).
Prepare the tamarind water by soaking a good size handful or tamarind (which you can buy in block form) in 500ml (2 cups) of freshly boiled water. Let it soak for 30 minutes. When it is cool enough to put your hands in the water pretend you are a child again as you mash and squeeze the tamarind and pits around, as if playing with playdough! Then, drain in a sieve squeezing the remaining pits to get all the liquid out. Keep the tamarind water and throw away the pits. You can store the prepared tamarind water in a glass Mason jar. It will keep in the refrigerator for a week.
Heat up a wok until it starts to smoke. Add 1 cup of oil and turn heat to medium. Add garlic cloves, cook, remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
Add the shallots. When they are gold and crispy (not burnt!) remove with a slotted spoon, set aside.
Add dried red chillies to oil, and cook until they are dark brown. Remove with a slotted spoon, set aside.
Now remove 7 tablespoons of the cooked oil and set aside. Pour the rest of the oil left in the wok into a jar to cool down. You don’t need this excess oil.
Put the cooked garlic, shallots, dried red chillies in a food processor. Add sliced galangal to the mix. Blend together until it becomes a paste, remove and set aside.
Heat up the wok. Add the 7 tablespoons of cooked oil. Add the paste to the wok and stir fry gently until the aroma wafts up your nose!
Add the coconut aminos, palm sugar/ coconut nectar/ coconut crystals, and tamarind water. Cook gently for 5 minutes. Remove from wok and set aside to cool. Put in the glass Maison jar and pop it in the refrigerator.
For the soup: put the cans of coconut milk in a large saucepan. Heat up gently.
Add the lemongrass, galangal, Kaffir lime leaves.
Add the water. Bring to the boil, then cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
Add the chillies, coconut aminos, and simmer for further 5 minutes.
Add the vegan chicken or tofu or mushrooms or all of them. Add the broccoli if using. Simmer for a few minutes, adding the roasted chilli paste (nam prik pao).
Mix and check the taste, you may want more! Just before serving add fresh lime juice and stir.
To Serve: Pour into a deep soup bowl and add a flurry of coriander (cilantro) leaves on top.

Recipe extracted from Tastes of Love and Light: A Thai Vegan Cookbook by Philippa Kinglsey, philippakingsley.com

Instagram: @philippakingsley

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Ingredients

Name: Thai coconut milk soup with vegan chicken or tofu (tom kha ga)
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 25 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 3 cans coconut milk at room temperature; 6 stalks fresh lemongrass, sliced diagonally into 2-inch pieces; 1 whole knob galangal, finely sliced; 12 fresh Kaffir lime leaves (pull the leaves off the centre stalk); 250ml (1 cup) cold water; 5 small fresh red birds eye Thai chillies (keep whole); 3 tbsp (45ml) Coconut Secret coconut aminos; 200g (7 ounces) vegan chicken strips or a half packet of drained firm tofu, cut into ½-inch cubes; 60g (2 ounces) fresh cremini or oyster mushrooms, quartered, or 1 can of straw mushrooms; Small pieces of fresh broccoli (optional); 2 tsp (10ml) roasted chilli paste (nam prik pao); 1-2 fresh limes, juiced; 1 bunch fresh coriander (cilantro) For the roasted chilli paste (nam prik pao):; 250ml (1 cup) sunflower oil; 8 garlic cloves; 10 small shallots; 15 dried Thai red chillies; 1 whole knob of galangal cut into 1 inch piece, then sliced; 3 tbsp (45ml) Coconut Secret coconut aminos or vegan fish sauce; 225g (1 cup) palm sugar or Coconut Secret coconut nectar or coconut crystals; 3 tbsp (45ml) tamarind water

3 cans coconut milk at room temperature
6 stalks fresh lemongrass, sliced diagonally into 2-inch pieces
1 whole knob galangal, finely sliced
12 fresh Kaffir lime leaves (pull the leaves off the centre stalk)
250ml (1 cup) cold water
5 small fresh red birds eye Thai chillies (keep whole)
3 tbsp (45ml) Coconut Secret coconut aminos
200g (7 ounces) vegan chicken strips or a half packet of drained firm tofu, cut into ½-inch cubes
60g (2 ounces) fresh cremini or oyster mushrooms, quartered, or 1 can of straw mushrooms
Small pieces of fresh broccoli (optional)
2 tsp (10ml) roasted chilli paste (nam prik pao)
1-2 fresh limes, juiced
1 bunch fresh coriander (cilantro)

For the roasted chilli paste (nam prik pao):
250ml (1 cup) sunflower oil
8 garlic cloves
10 small shallots
15 dried Thai red chillies
1 whole knob of galangal cut into 1 inch piece, then sliced
3 tbsp (45ml) Coconut Secret coconut aminos or vegan fish sauce
225g (1 cup) palm sugar or Coconut Secret coconut nectar or coconut crystals
3 tbsp (45ml) tamarind water