**How to Make Comforting Lao Chicken Soup (Thom Gai) & Sua Gai**
Hey friends! Today, I’m excited to share with you how to make **Thom Gai**, a comforting and flavorful Lao chicken soup that's a staple in many Lao households. This traditional soup is simple yet loaded with aromatic ingredients-think fragrant lemongrass and a subtle kick from galangal root.
In this version, I’ve added mustard greens, which are optional but highly recommended. They give the soup extra heartiness and a fresh aroma that enhances the overall flavor. One of the key ingredients for making this soup extra rich and savory is **brown chicken**, which you can typically find in the freezer section at most Asian grocery stores. Using brown chicken makes the broth deeper in flavor and more satisfying.
As a special bonus, I’ll also be showing you how to make **Sua Gai**! Normally, the broth for Sua Gai is made with ginger instead of galangal, but I’m using galangal so we can create two dishes in one go-talk about efficient!
**Sua Gai** is a traditional Lao dish similar to Laap (or Larb), which is a spicy herb-filled salad made with beef, chicken, or pork. But with Sua Gai, we use shredded chicken and more broth, making it a warm and hearty option. Some people like it with more broth, others prefer it a little drier-you can easily adjust the amount of liquid to your liking.
Both dishes are perfect for a comforting meal that showcases the best of Lao flavors. Sounds yummy, right? Let’s get cooking!
**Ingredients for soup**
1 brown chicken
1 lemongrass stalk
3 slices of galangal
1 large onion (for soup)
15 cherry tomatoes
3 green onion white head part
4 large mustard green bunch
2 liters of water (adjust accordingly)
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 teaspoon salt ( according to taste)
1 teaspoon msg ( according to taste)
** Ingredients for Sua gai **
¼ large onion
1 bunch cilantro
1 bunch Vietnamese coriander
3 green onions
1 tablespoon padek (fermented fish)
3-4 tablespoons roasted rice
6 ounces ginger
3-4 cups broth
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon msg
Let’s dive right into making our delicious Lao chicken soup and Sua Gai!
Step 1: Start by boiling about 2 liters of water. Add a stalk of lemongrass and 3 slices of galangal to give it that aromatic kick. While the water boils, get your chicken ready. I recommend using brown chicken for extra flavor.
- Begin by cutting out the thighs, followed by the wings, and finally, cut the chicken in half. If you're only making the chicken soup, chop all the pieces into 3-inch chunks. But if you're also making Sua Gai, keep the thighs, wings, and breast in larger pieces so you can shred them later.
Step 2: By the time you're done cutting, your water will be fragrant and ready for the chicken. Add all the chicken pieces, including the gizzards and liver, to the boiling water. Let it simmer for about 25 minutes.
Step 3: While the chicken is boiling, slice up a large onion, wash and destem your tomatoes, and separate the white parts from the green onions. Set the soup veggies aside for now.
Step 4: For Sua Gai, chop up ¼ of a large onion, green onions, cilantro, and coriander. Set those herbs aside for later.
Step 5: Now, go back to the boiling chicken. Add the large onion and tomatoes, fish sauce, salt, and msg letting them cook for about 10 minutes. Then toss in the green onion heads and mustard greens. Let it all cook together for another 5 minutes. Taste it and adjust the flavors little by little. And just like that-your Lao chicken soup is ready!
Step 6: Now onto the Sua Gai! After turning off the heat on your soup, remove the large pieces of chicken. Shred all the meat, thinly slice the gizzards, and cut the liver and chicken skin into 2-inch pieces.
Step 7: Combine the shredded chicken with the large onion slices, then pour 3-4 cups of hot broth over the onion. Add your chopped herbs, roasted rice powder, padek, salt, crushed peppers and msg. Toss everything gently and season to your taste.
And there you have it-two amazing dishes ready to be enjoyed with freshly steamed sticky rice. Thanks for watching, and I’ll see you in the next video!