Thai-Style Chicken Soup with Basil

prep time:: 45 min
total time:: 1.5 hr (not including making stock)

Makes 4 to 6

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

ingredients

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 quart rich and flavorful chicken stock ; 1 or 2 outer layers discarded
1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes in juice, drained, reserving juice
2 ounces tamarind from a pliable block (a 2-inch cube), chopped
3 tablespoon 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 pound skinless boneless chicken breast
1/4 pound snow peas, sliced 1/4 inch thick
1/3 cup packed basil leaves (preferably Thai)

directions

1
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.
2
Add stock, reserved tomato juice, tamarind, fish sauce, chiles, lime leaves, and ginger and simmer, uncovered, 30 minutes.
3
While soup simmers, freeze chicken breast just until slightly firm, 20 to 30 minutes, then thinly slice crosswise.
4
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.

Source: eeshu