Spicy Chicken Vegetable Soup with Fresh Herbs
SERVES 4 – 6
Here is a recipe for Isan's most popular soup.
12 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
11 dried thai chiles or other dried hot red chiles, stemmed and crushed
4 shallots, peeled and chopped
2 stalks lemongrass, trimmed and chopped
1/2" piece fresh or thawed frozen galangal, peeled and chopped
1 tbsp. gapi (Thai dried-shrimp paste)
1 tbsp. nam pla ra (Thai unrefined fish sauce)
4 tbsp. nam pla (Thai fish sauce)
2 kaffir lime leaves, torn into large pieces
1/2 boneless skinless chicken breast (about 6 oz.), thinly sliced
1 boneless skinless chicken thigh, thinly sliced
1 small kabocha squash, stemmed, seeded, peeled, and cut into 1 1/2" pieces
3 makheua pro (Thai round green eggplants) or baby eggplants, trimmed and quartered
1 young sponge or ridged gourd, trimmed, peeled, and sliced
1/2 bunch dill, very coarsely chopped
5 scallions, trimmed and thickly sliced
Leaves from 1/4 bunch bai manglak (Thai lemon basil) or sweet basil
1. Crush garlic, chiles, shallots, lemongrass, and galangal together with a mortar and pestle to a semismooth paste and set aside.
2. Heat a medium pot over medium heat until warm. Add 2 tbsp. water and garlic paste and cook, stirring constantly until water evaporates, 2-3 minutes. Combine dried shrimp paste and unrefined fish sauce, kaffir lime leaves, and 1/2 cup of water and simmer for 5 minutes. Add chicken and 1 1/2 cups water and simmer until chicken is no longer pink 5-8 minutes.
3. Add sqaush, eggplant, remaining fish sauce, and 2 cups water; simmer until squash is soft 5-8 minutes. Stir in gourd, dill and scallions and simmer, stirring often, until gourd is soft, 3-5 minutes. Add basil and adjust seasonings.
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