- 1 pound fresh lump crab meat
- 2 shallots, peeled and finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
- 4 Thai chilies or 6 small jalapeno chilies, steamed, seeded, and finely chopped
- 1 stalk of lemongrass, white part sliced as thin as possible
- 3 kaffir lime leaves (optional)
- 3¼-inch-thick slices fresh or frozen galangal (optional)
- ¼ cup lime juice or more to taste
- ¼ cup Thai fish sauce or more to taste
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 3 cups chicken broth or crab broth (see headnote)
- 1 15-ounce can unsweetened coconut milk
- Salt (optional)
- 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped cilantro leaves
- SORT through the crab meat and remove any pieces of shell.
- COMBINE all the ingredients except the crab and cilantro and simmer gently for 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt, more fish sauce (Thai dishes that taste under-salted often need fish sauce instead of salt), and/or more lime juice. The soup should have a distinct tang.
- Immediately before serving, bring the soup to a boil over high heat and stir in the crab meat and the cilantro. Leave the crab meat over the heat for just 1 minute more to heat through. Serve immediately in hot bowls.