Tom Yum soup (Thai hot and sour soup)

If you love tangy, spicy, hot goodness in a soup, you'll love this soup! Especially on a cold day.

Ingredients:
- 1/4 yellow or white onion chopped into thin rings
- 2 cloves garlic minced or grated
- 1-2 inches of galangal (Thai ginger), cut into thin "match sticks", grated, or minced
- 3-4 basil leaves roughly chopped
- 4 green chillies halved
- 2-3 tablespoons red pepper flakes [ground red pepper (1-2 teaspoons) works just as well]
- olive oil
- diced tomatoes (3-4 big tomatoes)
- chopped broccoli
- sliced mushrooms
- 1/2 - 1 cup small cubes of firm tofu
- vegetable stock (4-6 cups)
- 4-5 kaffir leaves
- salt to taste
- 2 teaspoon brown sugar
- 1-2 lemongrass stalks (size of 1 popsicle stick)
- 8-10 spoons of lemon or lime juice
- 4-5 sprigs cilantro roughly chopped

- heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large pot, add garlic, onions, red chillie flakes, green chillies, galangal, lemongrass, kaffir leaves... stir until onions are translucent...about 5-8 minutes
- stir in vegetable stock and heat for 5 minutes
- add mushrooms, broccoli, tomatoes, and tofu... bring to a boil and simmer for 15-20 minutes
- add cilantro, basil, brown sugar, lemon or lime juice, salt... simmer for another 15-20 minutes
(add as much or little of the green chillies and red pepper flakes or ground red pepper... these add to the level of heat you want in your soup)