A friend of mine cut some lemongrass from our little backyard garden yesterday for a sorbet. Smelling the delicious aroma of the cut lemongrass reminded me that I hadn’t made this soup in a while, and I really ought to! So guess what we had for dinner? This is my vegan version of tom ka gai. I can’t get fresh or dried galangal root here, but if you can, I highly suggest adding a slice or two to this soup to give it that unique taste. Also, if you like mushrooms, you can add some of those to this soup as well. Don’t ask me when to add them, though, I’ll leave that up to you, as I personally despise mushrooms and never put them in anything! 
Ingredients:
- two nice stalks of lemongrass, scored (don’t cut up because you don’t want to ingest the lemongrass, just allow it to give flavor to the soup)
- 1 can coconut milk (not cream of coconut!)
- 2 boiling potatoes, cubed
- 1/2 box firm or extra-firm tofu, cubed (make pieces about the same size as the potatoes)
- about a 2″ piece of ginger, grated
- small onion, chopped
- 1 tbsp. chopped garlic
- 1/2 c frozen green peas (optional)
- 2 tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro or basil (for people who don’t like cilantro, try basil — it’s a completely different taste but just as good)
- 1-2 tsp. Thai seasoning (I use this one and it’s fantastic!) or just use a pinch of your favorite hot dried chilis
- juice of one lemon
- 1-2 tbsp. soy sauce
- salt to taste
- optional: pinch of dried kaffir lime leaf or add in a fresh kaffir lime leaf if you can get them (I can’t, sniff sniff…)
- Start off by sauteeing the onion, garlic, and ginger together. When the onion starts to get translucent, add in the coconut milk and at least 1/2 can of water or veg stock (more if you like your soup thinner).
- Bring to a simmer; lower heat and add in potatoes and tofu, plus seasonings (cilantro/basil, lemon juice, salt, Thai seasoning, soy sauce, etc.).
- When potatoes are cooked (about 10-15 minutes, depending on how large or small you’ve cut the cubes), add in the frozen peas. Allow to heat through, and serve immediately. You can serve it with rice on the side, over rice (the way my husband eats it), or just by itself. Enjoy!
