Winter Chicken and Vegetables Soup
The Winter is here for a few more months and things happening around us right now are also not going away anytime soon. Best to look after ourselves both physically and mentally so we have energy and immunity to fight off. My menu today is a homemade chicken and vegetables soup. I picked some betel leaves and Vietnamese coriander (Praew leaf in Thai) to incorporate in this cooking. But you can pretty much use any vegetable readily in the season...no strict rule to enforce here. I also would like to see your own version, too.
Ingredients
250g chicken thigh fillets
1 bunch choy sum
5-6 eggplant (small)
4-5 betel leaves
10 Vietnamese coriander
2-3 kaffir lime leaves
1 stalk lemongrass
4-5 dried chilli
1 red onion (large)
2 tbsp pickled fish juice (optional)
2 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp toasted rice
A pinch of salt
How to make
In a mortar and pestle, pound together the dried chilli, garlic, galangal, lemongrass, and red onion until you get a semi-fine paste.
Heat a large pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of oil, then add the pounded paste and fry for 2-3 minutes or until fragrant.
Add the chicken to the pot and stir fry for a few minutes until it is no longer pink.
Add enough water to cover the chicken and bring it to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, and let it simmer for 10 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.
Add the kaffir lime leaves, lemongrass, pickled fish sauce, fish sauce and toasted rice, then stir to combine.
Add the vegetables, bring to a boil and cook for 3-5 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.
Add the betel leaves and Vietnamese coriander, turn off the heat and let it sit for a few minutes before serving.
If you feel like having fun and want to know step by step guide on how to make this dish. Watch my cooking, watch the video here.
