This shredded chicken and lemongrass soup reminds me of an elegant rendition of Tom Yum soup with chicken. It's got a light and refreshing broth that features shredded chicken and finely sliced Thai herbs so that you can savor them in each and every bite.

Years ago, when I was flipping through David Thompson's Thai Food cookbook, I came across a recipe for a shredded chicken and lemongrass soup. It immediately caught my attention because it sounded like a refined variation of Tom Yum soup with Chicken (Tom Yum Gai).

The broth of both soups is made in a very similar way, by infusing chicken stock with the "Thai trinity" of herbs: galangal, makrut lime leaves, and lemongrass. However, instead of adding roasted chili paste, mushrooms, and sliced chicken like you would in Tom Yum Gai, this soup is made by adding shredded chicken and very finely sliced herbs including lemongrass, makrut lime leaves, shallots, and cilantro back to the broth. In each bite of this soup, you get flavorful broth, tender bites of shredded chicken, and pops of wonderful lemongrass and citrus flavor. It immediately became one of my favorite Thai soups, and I hope it becomes one of your favorites too!

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Ingredients
Instructions
Tips for Finely Slicing Lemongrass
Tips for Finely Slicing Makrut Lime Leaves
Recipe

Ingredients

Chicken Broth and Water: Chicken broth and water form the base of this soup. If you prefer a richer soup base, feel free to use all chicken broth or stock.
Shallots: Shallots provide so much flavor to the broth. Use three small red Asian shallots or one large shallot quartered for the broth, and finely slice 2 Tablespoons shallots for soup garnish.
Thai Chilis: Just like tom yum, this soup is meant to be equally spicy, salty, and sour; however, feel free to adjust the spice level to your preference. One Thai chili will produce a mild spice, three will give a medium spice, and five or more will be spicy.
Galangal: Galangal helps to infuse the broth with a sharp, earthy, citrusy flavor. It is often available at pan-Asian stores, but not always. It can be found fresh online (ingredient name linked). Simply wash the galangal, cut a 1 inch piece off and slice it into thin rounds. Ginger is often suggested as a substitute for galangal, but it does not have the same flavor and should not be used.
Lemongrass: Lemongrass is one of the main flavors of this soup, and can reliably be found at pan-Asian groceries such as Ranch 99. Use only the bottom ⅔ of the stalk. To infuse the broth, cut the stalk into 2 inch lengths and bruise with the back of a chef's knife to help release the fragrance.
Makrut (Kaffir) Lime Leaves: Makrut lime leaves are another essential ingredient in this soup and impart a very distinctive citrus flavor. They are harder to procure, often available only at groceries specializing in Southeast Asian cuisine. However, you can also buy them online (ingredient name linked). Devein the leaves and tear into halves or quarters to infuse the broth.
Chicken: One chicken breast is simmered in the herb-infused broth until it's cooked through, then it's removed and the chicken is shredded before adding it back to the soup. You could also use other cuts of chicken, or even other leftover meats such as turkey.
Lime Juice: Fresh lime juice provides the necessary sourness. Start with 2 Tablespoons and add more as needed, depending on how sour your lime is.
Fish Sauce: Fish sauce provides the salty umami flavor for this soup. Exactly how much you need will depend on how salty your chicken broth is.
Cilantro: Cilantro leaves add a wonderful flavor and nice pop of color to this soup.

Instructions

The soup starts with chicken broth that's infused with lemongrass, galangal, and makrut lime leaves, just like the traditional Tom Yum soup with chicken. Chicken is added to cook in and soak up the flavors of this broth and then the broth is seasoned with Thai chilis, lime juice, and fish sauce. Once the broth is seasoned to your liking, you remove everything and then add back the chicken in shredded form and a new set of herbs which have been very finely sliced.

Tips for Finely Slicing Lemongrass

The finely-sliced lemongrass that's added to the soup before serving is meant to be eaten, so you need to make sure that it's very tender and very thin. Start with a fresh stalk of lemongrass. Cut off the bottom inch and the top ⅓ of the stalk and discard. Peel away any outer layers that are dried or not super fresh. Then use a sharp chef's knife and slice at an angle to make paper-thin slices of tender, fresh lemongrass that can easily be eaten.

Tips for Finely Slicing Makrut Lime Leaves

To slice makrut lime leaves very finely, you'll want to employ a chiffonade cut. Start with very fresh leaves, ideally just picked from the makrut lime tree. Fold the leaf in half and remove the central vein. Then stack two halves on top of each other and roll into a tight coil. Slice the leaves perpendicular to the coil, then allow to unroll to reveal beautiful thin ribbons of makrut lime leaves that can be eaten.

This shredded chicken and lemongrass soup has a light, refreshing broth that pops with complex flavors of lemongrass, lime, and chilis. It's a wonderfully delicious blend of hot, sour, and salty, just as any good Thai tom yum soup should be. So I hope you give it a try and enjoy!

Recipe