Tom Yum Kai
4
servings25
minutes30
minutesThis is one of my favorite soups, especially in the colder months. It is a true testament to the imfamous quote, ‘Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food’ by Hippocrates. I eat this soup for several days if I sense my immune system is starting to feel taxed or as a preemptive measure if I have had emotional uphevals coupled with stress in my daily life.
Ingredients
2 tbsp olive oil
1 shallot, minced
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1 stalk lemongrass, smashed & cut into 2” pieces
1 tsp chili flakes
4 cups vegetable or chicken stock (low-sodium, real broth = clearer soup)
1 cup coconut milk (optional, if you want a clearer broth omit)
1/2 lb chicken breast or thigh, thinly sliced (subtitue tofu or another mushroom)
1 cup straw mushrooms or oyster mushrooms, halved
5–6 thin slices galangrass, (fresh or frozen; do not sub ginger here)
2 - 3 kaffir lime leaves, torn in half (remove spine)
4–8 Thai bird’s eye chilies, smashed (4 = spicy, 8 = mouth fire)
2 - 3 tbsps fish sauce
2–3 tbsps lime juice (fresh only, add last)
1 tsp coconut sugar (optional, balances heat)
1 tbsp nam prik pao (Thai roasted chili paste, optional)
Cilantro or Thai parsley for garnish
Directions
Heat the oil in the sauce pan. Add shallots, garlic, lemongrass, galangal, and chilies + flakes. Brown slightly. Then, gently boil stock in a pot. Simmer 5 mins to infuse.
Add the fish sauce and cocnut sugar. Stir.
Then, add chicken slices and mushrooms. Cook 3–4 mins until chicken is just done (aim for tender)
Turn off heat. Wait 30 seconds, then add lime juice and lime leaves, (prevents bitterness). Tastes will build: from sour to salty to spicy to faint sweet.
Serve fresh off the stove in bowls. Garnish with cilantro.
A little dot connecting. When your emotions have a huge upheaval coupled with persistent stress/anxiety, low nutrient dense meals and/or substances that diminish your life force, your immune system will be compromised. The key is to be mindful with your emotions and the food you nourish yourself with. This awareness will assist keeping you in well being during the fall/spring. These seasons are historically filled with cold/flu and/or sinus/allergy upheaval. As inspired, nourish yourself proactively with nutrient dense foods and retain your emotional awareness.
If you happen to over indulge in the holiday blues or one too many Yuletide treats, star of anise, is a helpful friend. It is a warming herb that will get things moving and breaks up stagnation. It is anti all the things that can put your left of center (oxidants, microbes, fungus). To test it out, you can simply steep one pod in hot water and sip it gently. See how it feels and your body responds. If it feels good, then sip on a cup or two. Alternatively, you can make a warm cider or a seasonal recipe with star of anise.
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The librarian who built a tiny forest
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Giving Tree
You can also learn more about Neal, Samara, Ant and the Endurant Movement(HERE). They have touched my life many times over and what they are guiding will help many put together puzzles pieces for themselves and family members. Ultimately, transforming the way we can support our younger generations and the generations to come.
Formulated by the founder and master herbalist, Mason Taylor, this functional mushroom blend is designed to support digestive health, immunity, sustained energy, and sharper focus. It also enhances overall vitality, supports balanced mood and hormone function, and uniquely promotes gut health.
Featuring the combined power of Cordyceps (Cordyceps militaris), Maitake (Grifola frondosa), Poria (Wolfiporia cocos), Shiitake (Lentinula edodes), Agaricus (Agaricus subrufescens), Lion’s Mane (Hericium erinaceus), Reishi (Ganoderma lucidum), and Chaga (Inonotus obliquus) – each selected for their revered traditional uses and modern-day applications.
Made exclusively from Dì Dào (地道) sourced mushroom fruiting bodies, grown on wood – just as Taoist herbalists prescribed over 2,000 years ago.
This is not a trend blend. This is a full-spectrum 10:1 extract prepared using the Huo-Hou (火候)method – a time-honoured technique applying optimal heat and pressure for peak potency, thoughtfully composed for long-term use across the shifting seasons of life.
While compounds like beta-glucans, polysaccharides, triterpenes, and cordycepin are naturally present, our focus is not on isolating or standardising them. We honour the complete biochemical and energetic profile of each mushroom – as used in traditional Taoist and Classical Chinese medicine for millennia.
Mason’s Mushrooms is loved by parents, thinkers, creators, and anyone seeking a resilient system and sustainable energy – as well as those navigating burnout, immune depletion, recovery, or digestive imbalance.