Thai Coconut Soup with Dumplings

For many years, my favorite 'cure' for a cold was from a true hole-in-the-wall Thai restaurant called Alli's Thai Kitchen. The moment I felt the first sniffle, I knew tom ka gai made would be in my future. Heartbreakingly, the establishment became a casualty of COVID-19, and I have been left trying to fill the void ever since. While nothing will ever replace the spicy-sour soup made by those two sisters at Alli's Thai Kitchen, I have had a lot of fun experimenting with the broth over the years. Disclaimer: There is very little traditional about my recipe; it has similar elements, while using easy-to-find ingredients. It's another versatile recipe as well; swap out the dumplings for rice noodles, and top with proteins like shrimp, sliced chicken thighs, crispy marinated tofu, or a soft-boiled egg for a deliciously creamy ramen.4/5 members of our blended family are roughly 75% vegetarian, with one full-time herbivore, so I appreciate that I can swap out ingredients to make sure all dietary needs are covered for whoever is home for dinner at any given time. This recipe can be made gluten-free, vegetarian, or vegan, depending on your dumplings, broth, and choice of soy sauce or coconut aminos.

Tip: I really like to pan-fry my dumplings, especially when they are going to be bathing in broth. I find that a crispy dumpling adds an element of texture that really adds to the soup.

I pan-fry my dumplings by adding a healthy drizzle of olive oil and 1/4 cup of water to a wok. Then I heat the wok over medium-high heat and cover it for a couple of minutes. Then I remove the lid and continue tossing until the water is absorbed. When the water is gone, and only oil is left, that's when they will start to crisp up. Continue to toss them until they are a lovely golden brown.

One more disclaimer: This is probably as good a time as any to let y'all know that I am one of those people who taste soap when I eat cilantro. I know, I know. I blame my mother. But I do love the bright green element of fresh herbs on pretty much anything. Fresh parsley can always be found in my fridge, and very few of my recipes aren't garnished with it. That being said, I will be using parsley in this dish for that reason, but if you are one of those much more fortunate people who taste notes of citrus instead of a bar of Dove, the world is your oyster.

Ingredients 2 shallots, minced 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 inch section of ginger, peeled and grated 2 cups cremini mushrooms, quartered 2 limes, zested and juiced1 lime, halved and sliced for garnish 2 cups kale, roughly chopped 2 tbs shredded basil1 tbs tomato paste 2 13.5 oz cans of coconut milk 64 oz chicken or vegetable broth1 tbs rice vinegar 1 tbs sesame oil, plus more for garnish 2 Tbs rough chopped parsley (or cilantro) 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes, + more for garnish 2 tbs coconut aminos or soy sauce1/ 2 tbs sugar 16 oz package of frozen dumplings Prep 1. Prep garlic, ginger, mushrooms, limes, kale, and basil Instructions

1. Heat 1 tbs olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat 2. Add shallots to the pan, tossing in hot oil, 1 minute 3. Add garlic and mushrooms, tossing with the shallots, 5 minutes 4. Add ginger and tomato paste to the pan, stir until mushrooms and shallots are coated 5. Deglaze the pan with a bit of broth, 1 minute 6. Add the remainder of the broth to the pan, along with the coconut milk, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and coconut aminos 7. Add lime zest, red pepper flakes, and sugar, mix to combine all ingredients 8. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce the heat to low 9. Pan-fry dumplings until they are golden brown 10. Add dumplings and halved cherry tomatoes to the soup, and allow everything to simmer together for 5 minutes 11. Garnish with red chili flakes, lime slices, sesame oil, shredded basil, and parsley (or cilantro)

Start to finish Cook time: 45 minutes Servings: 6