WICKED-GOOD TOM KHA SOUP

SERVES 6

One of my favorite things about eating Thai food is that you often get a pop of fresh ginger, then a smack of hot chile, then the sharpness of lime. It’s a more dynamic way of experiencing flavors than blending them all together. Have fun with the vegetables here. I like mushrooms, carrots, and tofu, but you could also use zucchini, parsnips, and tempeh. —CHAD

2 tablespoons everyday olive oil

1 white onion, diced

3 small Thai chiles, stems removed but chiles kept whole

3 (6-inch-long) sticks lemongrass

5 cloves garlic, sliced thin

2½ tablespoons minced fresh ginger, or 5 thin slices galangal

6 kaffir (makrut) lime leaves

3 cans (14 ounces each) coconut milk

2 tablespoons Better Than Bouillon No Chicken Base (see Pro Tip)

3 limes, juiced

2 tablespoons agave syrup or coconut sugar

½ tablespoon sea salt

1½ cups small oyster mushrooms or quartered button mushrooms

¾ cup sliced (on an angle) carrots

2/3 cup quartered green beans

1 block (14 ounces) firm tofu, drained and cubed, optional

½ cup chopped fresh cilantro

Heat a soup pot over medium heat. Add the oil, then the onion and stir until translucent, 2 to 3 minutes. Bruise the chiles and lemongrass by smashing the wide ends with the butt of your knife handle to release their flavors. Add to the soup along with the garlic and ginger. Rub the lime leaves in your hands to release the aromatic oils, then add to the pot. Let the aromatics cook until fragrant, about 3 minutes.

Add the coconut milk, then fill one coconut can 4 times with water, adding the water to the soup. Stir in the bouillon until dissolved, then bring the soup to a simmer. Simmer for 15 minutes or so to concentrate the flavors a bit.

Add the lime juice, agave, and salt. If you like your Thai food limey (and just a touch bitter), drop a spent lime half into the soup. Let simmer for a few minutes, then taste the broth. Add agave (sweet), lime juice (sour), and/or salt (sodium) until it tastes balanced to you.

Cut the heat to low and add the mushrooms, carrots, beans, and tofu (if using). Simmer very gently until the carrots are tender, about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the cilantro. Pick out the big pieces of whole aromatics before serving the soup—or warn your guests about them—just like you would with a bay leaf.

Pro Tip

No Chicken Base from Better Than Bouillon (or Massel) is a plant-based bouillon paste sold near the stocks and soups in most grocery stores. If you can’t find it, use 6 cups Vegetable Stock (here), or store-bought, instead of the water.

OPTION

For a no-oil dish, use a splash of stock. See here for more on no-oil sautéing.