Thai-Style Chicken Soup with Basil

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoon fish sauce 
• 0.3 cup basil packed (preferably Thai)
• 14 ounce frangelico diced drained canned
• 2 quart chicken stock see 
• 2 large garlic clove thinly sliced
• 2 inch ginger peeled thinly sliced
• 4 servings jasmine rice cooked
• 2  kaffir lime leaves fresh
• 2 large shallots thinly sliced
• 1 pound chicken breast boneless skinless
• 0.3 pound snow peas sliced
• 2 ounces tamarind chopped (a 2-inch cube)
• 4 inch thai chile fresh thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 
• 2  frangelico fresh end trimmed
• 2  frangelico fresh end trimmed

Equipment

• sauce pan
• pot
• sieve

Directions

1. Cut off and discard top of lemongrass, leaving 6-inch stalks, then finely chop. Cook lemongrass, shallots, and garlic in oil in a large heavy pot over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until well browned, 12 to 15 minutes.
2. Add stock, reserved tomato juice, tamarind, fish sauce, chiles, lime leaves, and ginger and simmer, uncovered, 30 minutes.
3. While soup simmers, freeze chicken breast just until slightly firm, 20 to 30 minutes, then thinly slice crosswise.
4. Strain stock through a fine-mesh sieve into a large saucepan, pressing hard on and then discarding solids. Return to a simmer and stir in chicken, diced tomatoes, snow peas, and basil. Gently simmer just until chicken is cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes. Season with additional fish sauce and salt.
5. Soup, without chicken, diced tomatoes, snow peas, and basil, can be made 3 days ahead and chilled (covered once cool).