Cambodian Pickled Lime Soup with Chicken Recipe for Sngor Ngam Ngov

This Cambodian pickled lime soup with chicken recipe makes sngor ngam ngov, a slightly sweet, slightly sour, citrus-driven soup brimming with succulent chicken and aromatics such as lemongrass and coriander. Easy to make, it’s a nourishing comforting soup that’s made for these times and made to be shared.

Prep Time25

Cook Time45

Total Time1 10

Course: Soup

Cuisine: Cambodian

Servings:

Calories: 436kcal

Author: Lara Dunston

Equipment

Ingredients

4 chicken thighs
3 tbsp neutral cooking oil
4 fresh limes cut in quarters
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp cracked black pepper
6 shallots purple or 1 large white onion, roughly chopped
6 garlic cloves sliced
1 large carrot sliced
1 large daikon sliced
1 litre chicken/vegetable stock
1 pickled lime sliced in quarters
1 tbsp pickled lime brine
1-2 tbsp fish sauce
1-2 tbsp palm sugar or brown sugar
2 stalks lemongrass cut in quarters, bashed with pestle or cleaver
1 knob ginger sliced thickly
1 cup fresh coriander roughly chopped
2 scallions or green spring onions finely chopped

Garnish

1 bunch fresh coriander
1 handfull scallions or green spring onions

Metric - US Customary

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 200°C (390°F).
Pop a tablespoon of neutral cooking oil into an oven pan, spread your chicken pieces out evenly, and roll them in the oil to ensure they’re fully covered. Squeeze the juice of the limes onto both sides of the chicken pieces, and pop the squeezed lime quarters beneath each chicken piece. Season the chicken with a pinch of sea salt and cracked black pepper and roast in the oven for 15-20 minutes until light brown.
Fry the roughly-chopped shallots or white onion in a frying pan until just translucent, then add the sliced garlic cloves until light brown, taking care not to burn either.
Add the remaining tablespoons of cooking oil to a big soup pot, along with the fried shallots/onion and garlic, chopped carrots and daikon, roasted chicken pieces, and lime quarters and chicken fat and juices from the oven pan.
Add the water (or chicken/vegetable stock), pickled lime brine, pickled lime quarters, fish sauce, one tablespoon palm sugar, lemongrass stalks, ginger, a pinch each of salt and pepper, stir, bring to a boil, then turn down the heat and simmer for 40 minutes.
Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary with more fish sauce, salt, or palm sugar: it should be citrus-driven, a little sour, a little sweet, but balanced.
A few minutes before serving, add the cup of roughly chopped fresh coriander and finely chopped scallions or green spring onions, then garnish with a little more fresh coriander and scallions/spring onions at the table.

Nutrition