Black sesame chicken soup
Serves: 4
Prep time: 20 minsTotal time: 
Recipe photograph by Kris Kirkham
Black sesame chicken soup
Chef Saiphin says: "This is one of my favourites to have at Songkran, the Thai new year celebration. The key ingredient is black sesame, which offers a delightful combination of nuttiness, earthiness and a subtle sweetness."
Serves: 4
Prep time: 20 minsTotal time: 
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Nutritional information (per serving)
Calories
206Kcal
Fat
7gr
Saturates
2gr
Carbs
6gr
Sugars
2gr
Fibre
2gr
Protein
30gr
Salt
2.4gr
Saiphin Moore
Saiphin is a restaurateur and the founder of Rosa’s Thai. With 41 UK locations, it’s one of Britain’s most successful restaurant groups.
See more of Saiphin Moore’s recipes
Saiphin Moore
Saiphin is a restaurateur and the founder of Rosa’s Thai. With 41 UK locations, it’s one of Britain’s most successful restaurant groups.
See more of Saiphin Moore’s recipes
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp black sesame seeds
- 100g fresh galangal (use root ginger if you can’t get galangal)
- 1 head of garlic, cloves peeled
- 1 stalk lemongrass
- 100g shallots, peeled
- 500g skinless chicken thigh fillets, trimmed
- 2 tbsp fish sauce, or to taste - check your sauce is gluten-free, if required
- 3 tbsp lime juice (about 2 limes), or to taste
To garnish
- coriander leaves
- sliced spring onions
- lime slices or wedges
Step by step
- Dry toast the black sesame seeds in a frying pan for 1 minute or until they start to crackle, being careful not to burn them. Once toasted, grind them finely using a pestle and mortar, then set aside.
- Peel and slice the galangal, lightly bash the garlic and lemongrass to release their oils and halve the shallots. Add to a pan with 900ml of cold water and a pinch of salt and slowly bring everything to the boil. Simmer for 10 minutes, then turn off the heat and leave to infuse for at least 30 minutes.
- Cut the chicken into bite-size pieces. When ready to cook, strain the broth through a sieve into another pan, pressing the aromatics to extract as much flavour as possible. Bring the broth back to a rolling boil and add the chicken. Simmer for 8-10 minutes until the chicken is cooked, then turn off the heat.
- Gradually sprinkle the roasted ground black sesame into the broth, infusing it with its distinctive nutty flavour.
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Stir in the fish sauce and lime juice to taste, adjusting until you get the right balance of sour and salty flavours. Ladle into bowls and serve garnished with coriander, spring onions and lime slices.
