Serves 4-6
*You can substitute shrimp for the chicken. Spinach, or any other leafy green, adds color and extra nutrients to the soup since it’s stirred in at the end.

Ingredients:

4 lemongrass stalks, root trimmed
1 ¾ cups canned coconut milk
2 cups chicken stock
1 inch piece of ginger, sliced into 4 coin size pieces
10 black peppercorns
10 kaffir lime leaves*, torn
8 ounces boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into thin strips, OR
¾ lb. peeled deveined shrimp (precooked is ok, too)
1 cup button mushrooms (from a can in the Asian section) or fresh shiitakes, sliced
2 cups spinach leaves (or chopped kale, watercress, arugula or chopped collard greens)
4 tablespoons lime juice
3 tablespoons fish sauce (make sure it’s wheat free!)
Chopped scallions and fresh cilantro to garnish

1.     Cut off the lower 2 inches from each lemongrass stalk and chop, smashing with the back side of your knife to release the flavor of each piece.  Bring coconut milk and chicken stock to a boil in a large pan.  Add lemongrass, ginger, peppercorns and half of the lime leaves, then lower the heat to a simmer for 10 minutes.  Strain the soup base into a clean pot.
2.     Return the soup to the heat, add the remaining lime leaves, chicken or shrimp and mushrooms.  Simmer 5 minutes or until the shrimp or chicken is cooked through.
3.     Remove from heat and stir in the greens, lime juice and fish sauce.  Serve hot with chopped scallions and cilantro on top.

NOTE : if  you cannot find lime leaves, simply add 2 tablespoons more lime juice to the initial cooking of the coconut milk and chicken stock.

Copyright Chef Abby Fammartino, Abby’s Table, 2009.