Tom Kha Gai -- Thai Chicken Meatball Soup

Hey Whiskers!
Thai cuisines is one of my favorite cuisines to cook. I love the balance of flavors with simple ingredients that create hearty flavorful meals. I loved this one bowl different take on chicken soup. Its hearty and warm without coating your gut in fat rendering you unable to do things-but will kick the sick right out of you. I found that you don't need to use stock for the flavor so I just used water and found that I could balance the salt and pepper better to my taste. I didn't make the soup to spicy as I was giving it to a nursing mother. I also served this with coconut rice. Enjoy,and keep whisking up love and happiness to those around you.
Till next time
Sam


Ingredients:

• 1 1” piece ginger, peeled
• 3 tablespoons dried lemongrass 
• 10 kaffir lime leaves or 1 Tbsp. lime zest and ¼ cup lime juice
• 6 cups water
• 1 kg chopped chicken
• 8 oz. shiitake, oyster, or maitake mushrooms, stemmed, caps cut into bite-size pieces
• 1 13.5-oz. can coconut milk
• 1 tsp. sugar
• 2 yellow onions chopped.
• 2 teaspoons chili flakes
• 2 cloves garlic minced

How To:

1. roll the chopped chicken into meatballs. Sear off in pan, set to the side.
2. Chop onions and garlic, sweat off in pot.Add the lemongrass,ginger and lime leaves. 
3. Add the water, bring lemongrass, ginger, lime leaves, and broth to a boil in a pot. Reduce heat and simmer until flavors are melded, 8–10 minutes. 
4. Add chicken meatballs and return to a boil. Reduce heat, add mushrooms, and simmer, skimming occasionally, until chicken is cooked through and mushrooms are soft, 20–25 minutes. Mix in coconut milk, and sugar.
5. Divide soup among bowls. Serve with rice ,chili oil, cilantro, and lime wedges.