Chicken and Siamese Watercress Soup

Name: Chicken and Siamese Watercress Soup (Gaeng Jeut Gai Sy Pak Bung)
Cuisine: Thailand
Ingredients: 3 red shallots; Pinch salt; 1 coriander (cilantro) root; 5 white peppercorns; 500 mL (2 cups/16 fl oz) chicken or pork stock; 500 mL (2 cups/16 fl oz) chicken or pork stock; 30 mL (2 tablespoons) Thai yellow bean sauce; 1 teaspoon oyster sauce; 1 teaspoon palm sugar; 100 g (4 oz) chicken thigh fillets, thinly sliced; 1 bunch Siamese watercress, cut into 5 cm (2 in) lengths

Gaeng Jeut Gai Sy Pak Bung

Preparation info

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

Classic Thai Cuisine

By David Thompson

Published 1993

About

THIS IS A LOVELY, gentle soup that can be used to counterbalance the heat from a green curry. If Siamese watercress is unavailable, then spinach or watercress could be substituted.

Ingredients

3 red shallots
Pinch salt
1 coriander (cilantro) root
5<

Asia
Thailand
Soup
South East Asia

Method

In a mortar and pestle (or food processor), crush the shallots with the salt, coriander root and peppercorns.

In a medium pan bring the stock to a boil and add the paste, bean sauce, oyster sauce and palm sugar. Add the chicken and simmer for about 3 minutes, or until the chicken is just cooked. Add the Siamese watercress and simmer until it wilts. Serve immediately.