The Artful Hawaiigirl: Thai Coconut-Lemongrass Soup

Ever get a craving for something hot and spicy, rich and delicious too? If you love Thai food you will want to make this in your own home.

I learned this exotic but easy Thai Coconut Lemongrass preparation from a friend.

I had stopped by their home for a moment and the aromatics were incredible!

The coconut soup was being ladled into bowls and I was gifted with a take out container of this soup to try on my break later. It's a heavenly, rich, heady concoction and I had to know how to make it!

My friend gave me the recipe from their Thai cookbook and I changed it to what is available.

In my book below I mention the recipe here:

I start the day before by cooking a whole chicken in boiling water brought down to a simmer for about and hour and a half. To season that broth I always start with garlic, onion, celery and carrots chopped up and added to the water with the chicken. I add my salt and pepper during the second seasoning when I remove the bones to the side.

This time I added a few star anise to the broth as well as a few cloves like I do in Vietnamese Pho. When the wonderful chicken broth is ready, I serve some, then bring down the heat with ice cubes to chill it for the next day.

Now I prepare my green chile paste.

I used about 8 jalapenos, lots of fresh ginger (about 4 oz..), 3 lemongrass stalks, 6 cloves garlic,

3 TBSP. vegetable oil, 2 TBSP. sugar, 3 TBSP. fish sauce, zest of three limes and

squeeze the fresh limes into the paste. (I did not have my kefir lime leaves.)

I used to have a tree but we lost it.

So this substitution was fine.

As you see I chopped up my ginger and lemongrass and carefully cut in half and seeded my chiles.Then I pop it all into the food processor for a grind. In the past I had ground it much finer in a small grinder but this rough chop (pulsed for a couple minutes) was fine.

I add about 3 TBSP. of the green chile paste to 2 TBSP. hot vegetable oil to get the aromatics going. It smells incredible. Don't inhale those chiles, though.

Also be very careful not to touch your eyes or face. If necessary you can wear gloves to handle the chiles. I just use caution and the pointy sharp blade of a steak knife to get out the seeds.

Once you get the aromatics going get your tofu and shrimp into the pot to brown in that green chile paste for a couple of minutes.

My favorite shrimps are the tail on deveined ones in the 21-25 count. (big ones).

This time I had some small ones. (too small.) Cube the tofu before adding to the pot.

Next add 4-6 cups of the chicken broth prepared earlier. I added some of the white meat also.

Next I add two cans of unsweetened coconut milk.

I am ready to taste!

MMMmmmm woooh, this is sooo ONO! I added more chile paste than usual so on a

scale of 1-5 based on hotness, I guess this one is a 4. But it's ok for my husband and I. We

like it spicy. I won't let my mother-in-law try this one. Not for the sensitive ones.

Garnish with bean sprouts, mint, or thai basil.

I also slivered a few green onion pieces for color.

Hope you try this one. You will love it.

Aloha and thanks for reading. Pad Thai is another favorite I will prepare soon. I do that

even at the cabins at Wai`anapanapa on one burner sometimes. It's really easy too!

Feel free to ask me any questions by leaving a comment. Here's some beautiful pictures of Wai`anapanapa State Park in Hana, Maui, Hawaii. This is one of my very favorite places on Maui. It is wild and beautiful and really Hawaiian.