Serves 4-6

Ingredients:
2 stalks of lemongrass, white parts only, smashed
6 kaffir lime leaves, crushed
4 shallots, sliced ¼ inch
3 Thai bird chiles, sliced with seeds (1/16 inch, stems removed)
2 slices fresh ginger
2 chicken breasts, skinned, sliced into ¼ inch ribbons
1 cup sliced (1/4 inch) button mushrooms
¼ cup fish sauce
1 quart chicken stock
¼ cup coconut milk
Juice of 2 limes
1 cup grated carrots, tossed lightly with the juice of 1 lime and a touch of oil
Grapeseed oil to cook
Salt and Black pepper to taste

Directions:
In a 2-quart sauce pan coated lightly with oil, sweat the lemongrass, kaffir lime, shallots, chiles and ginger, for 3 minutes. Add the seasoned chicken and cook for 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms and deglaze with fish sauce. Reduce by 50% and add the stock. Simmer and reduce by 10%. Whisk in the coconut milk and lime juice. Taste for seasonings.

Divide the soup among 4-6 shallow soup bowls and top with a small bunch of the carrot salad.