Thai Coconut Chicken Soup with Mushrooms

Ingredients

• 20 ounces chicken stock
• 2-inch piece of galangal, peeled, half cut into slices, half cut into matchsticks
• 2 stalks lemongrass, ends trimmed, tough outer leaves removed, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 4 Kaffir lime leaves, crumpled by hand
• 1 can coconut milk
• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced thinly against the grain
• 1/2 pound mushrooms, ends removed, sliced
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce, plus more for serving
• 1 tablespoon juice from 1 lime, plus more for serving
• 4 hot red chilis ends trimmed, smashed with a knife
• Handful fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems

Directions

1. In a medium saucepan, stir together the stock, galangal, lemongrass, and lime leaf. Set it over medium heat and bring it to a gentle simmer, then lower the heat so it stays there for 10 minutes. Remove and throw away the galangal and lemongrass.
2. Pour in the coconut milk and bring the heat back up to medium. Stir in the chicken, mushrooms, galangal matchsticks, and Kaffir lime leaves, then cook until the chicken is cooked through and the mushrooms have softened, about 5 minutes.
3. Stir in the fish sauce, lime juice, and red chiles, then take the pan off the heat. Ladle the soup into 4 bowls, making sure a red chile lands in each one. Finish with cilantro, then adjust with additional lime juice and fish sauce as needed.