Perhaps my favorite element of travel is expanding my horizons, whether it’s observing how other people do life, learning to speak another language or exploring new cuisines. Such cuisines were Thai and Indonesian. Though very simple, straight-forward dishes, they were always fresh, inventive and incredibly flavorful. One example of this? Tom kha gai.
About Tom Kha Gai
Tom kha gai is a broth- and coconut milk-based soup whose primary flavors are ginger (or galangal), lemongrass, and chili. It’s Thailand’s national dish and is believed to have originated in the northern part of the country with influence from neighboring Laos. When creating a simplified version for our 31 Meals cookbook, I got it in my head to make a version with butternut squash because I imagined the flavors melding together so well. Turns out, they totally do! Tom kha gai typically features chicken as the primary protein, along with a few mushrooms for more heartiness and texture. But I kept this version vegan friendly and upped the veggie count with an entire roasted butternut squash! Look at that creamy goodness. I could hardly wait to give it a try. Though this soup may be foreign to some, the ingredients are fairly common and easy to attain: Butternut squashVegetable brothCoconut milkGingerLemongrassShallotThai chili (or other hot pepper)Mushrooms& fish sauce (optional) On its own, this soup has TONS of flavor. But the addition of butternut squash makes it even more creamy and luxurious and perfect for slurping down while hunkered down inside during harsh winter weather. Trust me, this is practically all we did last week. Wake up, stay in jammies, hot cocoa, soup, back to bed. And it, was, wonderful. I highly recommend you do the same. Enjoy!
