Chicken and Mushroom Tom Kha Soup

Pour 3–3.5 liters of water into a pot, place chicken thighs on the bone and bring to a boil. After boiling, simmer for 20–30 minutes.

At the same time, put the rice on to cook. After it comes to a boil, reduce the heat and stir occasionally. When all the water is absorbed, turn off the heat and let the rice finish cooking on the stove.

Wash the ginger, kaffir lime leaves, and lemongrass. Slice the ginger into thin slices. Cut the lemongrass into sticks about 5 cm long. You can cut them lengthwise for more aroma, but then the soup will be harder to eat, as the lemongrass will separate into layers.

Finely chop the chili, garlic, and onion. Fry the onion with garlic in vegetable oil until golden, then add the pepper and fry for a couple more minutes. Blend the resulting mixture with a blender.

Alternative: instead of pasta, use red chili pepper tabasco sauce.

When the drumsticks are cooked, remove them from the broth. Add sliced lemongrass and ginger to the broth, tear and add kaffir lime leaves. Let it simmer for 20 minutes.

Wash the mushrooms and cut them into quarters or six pieces depending on the size. You can use frozen mushrooms whole, then cut them.

When lemongrass and ginger have simmered for 20 minutes, add the mushrooms. Pour in room temperature cream (otherwise it will curdle). Cream can be replaced with coconut milk; if you prefer a richer taste, use 500 ml. Season to taste with salt.

Add a couple of tablespoons of paste to taste. If you haven't made the paste, squeeze three cloves of garlic into the soup and add Tabasco sauce to taste. Start with a small amount and taste. For those who like it spicy, add a few red chili peppers, slightly sliced.

Separate the meat from the bones of the cooked drumsticks, cut into small pieces and add to the soup.

Let the soup simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. If desired, add peeled shrimp. Turn off the stove.

Serve the rice soup in separate bowls. When serving, add cherry tomato halves and fresh cilantro as desired.