Tom Kha (Thai Coconut Soup)
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings
- Category: Soups
- Cuisine: Thai
Description
A warming Thai coconut soup with tender pork fillet, mushrooms and pak choi, brought to life with fragrant aromatics and a silky coconut broth.
Ingredients
Soup
3 Tbsp (45 ml) olive oil
500 g pork fillet, cut into thin strips
Salt and pepper, to taste
4 garlic cloves, crushed
4 shallots, sliced
1 red chilli, roughly chopped
1 knob (about 5 cm) fresh ginger, sliced
1 stalk lemongrass, bruised and roughly chopped
1 Tbsp (15 ml) Thai red curry paste
1 L chicken stock
2 C (500 ml) water
1 tin (400 ml) coconut milk
1 tsp (5 ml) fish sauce
Juice of ½ lime (or more to taste)
200 g shiitake mushrooms
200 g baby pak choi, halved
170 g dry egg noodles
To Serve
Fresh coriander
Spring onion, sliced
Chilli, sliced
Lime wedges
Instructions
Soup
Heat 2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Season the pork strips with salt and pepper, then sear until golden brown. Remove from the pan and set aside.
In a large pot, heat the remaining olive oil over medium heat. Sauté the garlic, shallots, red chilli, ginger and lemongrass for 3–4 minutes until fragrant. Stir in the Thai red curry paste and cook for another minute to develop the flavour.
Pour in the chicken stock and water, then bring to a simmer. Let the broth gently bubble for 15 minutes to allow the aromatics to infuse. Strain the broth to remove the solids and return the stock base to the pot.
Add the coconut milk, fish sauce and lime juice to the broth and stir to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed with more fish sauce or lime juice. Simmer gently for 5–10 minutes.
Add the mushrooms and pak choi and cook until just tender, about 3–5 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a separate pot, cook the egg noodles according to the packaging instructions and drain well.
Return the seared pork to the soup and let it warm through for 2–3 minutes.
To Serve
Divide the egg noodles between the serving bowls.
Ladle the hot soup over the noodles and garnish each bowl with fresh coriander, sliced spring onion, chilli and a lime wedge. Serve immediately.
