Salmon Coconut Soup

Name: Salmon Coconut Soup
Yield: 4–6 servings
Ingredients: 1½ lb. skinless salmon fillet; 2 tsp. Diamond Crystal or 1 tsp. Morton kosher salt, divided; 8 oz. mixed mushrooms (such as shiitake, oyster, maitake, and/or nameko); ½ medium onion; 3 garlic cloves; 1 3" piece ginger; 1–3 red or green Thai chiles or serrano chiles; 2 lemongrass stalks; 1 Tbsp. virgin coconut oil; 8 makrut (Thai) lime leaves or zest of 2 limes; 2 13.5-oz. cans unsweetened coconut milk; 2 Tbsp. fish sauce; 1 tsp. sugar; 2 limes, divided; Cilantro leaves with tender stems (for serving)

Adjust the heat in this riff on Thai tom kha gai to your liking—use one chile for mild heat, two for medium, and three if you want sweat beading on your brow.

By Diana Yen

March 21, 2021

Photo by Emma Fishman, Food Styling by D'mytrek Brown

Packed with clear-your-sinuses heat, this comforting and spicy coconut soup will warm you up on cold nights. Inspired by the classic Thai soup tom kha gai, this version has pieces of salmon instead of chicken and uses easy-to-find ginger instead of traditional galangal root. (If you have access to galangal, though, by all means use it!) Fresh lime juice adds a bright, tangy finish that balances out the richness of the coconut broth. Try serving it with vermicelli noodles for a heartier meal. —Diana Yen