thai style chicken soup

this is the best soup i've ever had! it takes some special ingredients i got at the asian market in town, but this has to be one of my favorite all time recipes ever. after you do it a couple of times i am sure it wont take as long as the first time.


ingredients:
1 tsp vegetable oil
3 lemon grass stalks, outer leaves removed, trim top and bottom (like you would a green onion), halved lengthwise and sliced thin crosswise
3 large shallots, chopped
8 sprigs fresh cilantro
3 tbsp fish sauce
4 c chicken broth
2 (14oz) can coconut milk
1 tbspn sugar
1/2 # white mushrooms, sliced (you can omit these if you want)
1 # chicken breasts, sliced on bias into 1/8" thick pieces
3 tbspn lime juice
2 tsp thai red curry paste

garnish:
1/2 c fresh cilantro
2 serrano chiles (i didn't do this- too hot)
2 green onions, sliced
1 lime, cut into wedges


preparation:

1. heat oil, add lemon grass, shallots, cilantro and 1 tbspn fish sauce; cook stirring frequently until softened (not brown)
2. stir in chicken broth and 1 can coconut milk, bring to simmer, cover, decrease heat, simmer till flavors blended, about 10 minutes. pour broth through fine mesh strainer and discard solids in strainer. return broth mixture to pan
3. return p an to medium high heat, stir in remaining can of coconut milk and sugar. bring to simmer, decrease heat to medium, add mushrooms and cook till tender (2-3 minutes). add chicken and cook, stirring constantly until non longer pink (1-3 minutes). remove soup from heat
4. combine lime juice, curry paste, and remaining fish sauce in a small bowl. stir into soup.
5. garnish with cilantro, scallions and lime.

** i make a cup of rice first and put rice in the bottom of my bowl and then spoon the soup over the rice. it gives it a little more texture and fills you up.