Thai Coconut Soup With Shrimp
Instructions
Rinse, peel and devein the shrimps, and set the shells aside for the broth.
In a pot, put the shrimp shells and the onion in 6 cups of water. After the water comes to a full boil, lower the heat to simmer and continue to cook for about 5 minutes. Strain the soup and discard the shells and onion.
In the same pot, saute in 1-2 tablespoons oil the ginger, galangal slices, lemongrass pieces, the tom yum paste and the shrimp paste for about 1-2 minutes, until frangrant, then add the reserved shrimp broth, the coconut milk and the kaffir lime leaves.
Let it come back to a simmer over low heat, then add the shrimp and bamboo shots for just 1-2 minutes. If you didnt forget about the mushrooms as I did, add them now. Shrimp cooks very fast and will continue to cook in the warm stock. Overcooking them will turn them tough and rubbery.
Remove from heat and add the cilantro, lime juice and the fish sauce (Nam Pla). Remove the lemongrass and galangal before serving, if you like. They're not really edible. Adjust the taste to your liking, by adding more or less fish sauce, lime juice or slices of chillies.
Serve it with plain rice - white, brown, basmati.
You know how the chicken soup is good for colds and gets you out of bed? This one is just the same. Or at least thats what we think.
