Thai Lemongrass Shrimp Soup

Thai Lemongrass Shrimp Soup, more traditionally known as Tom Yum Kung, is the first experience I ever had enjoying Thai food. It was the moment that I fell in love with fresh cilantro, lemongrass, fresh ginger and lime.

The lemongrass lends a deep citrusy aroma, the kaffir lime leaves and lime juice give it a pleasant sour quality, and the galanga root adds depth and tang. Adding fresh cilantro and a squeeze of lime just before you dive in brightens up the whole thing!

I love the challenge of cooking with food I've never heard of or don't often use, so when I found a recipe for this soup that called for galanga root, tamarind, lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves, I just knew I had to make it. I remember the first time I tried it, I felt so adventurous adding a knob of galanga root to what sounded like voodoo brew.

Back then I had some difficulty locating everything on my shopping list. Luckily these days, I can find most things at Whole Foods Market. Or better yet, check out your local Asian market for seriously fresh and seriously cheap imported produce, not to mention an abundance of herbs you can barely pronounce. My favorite market is Super H Mart, but there are a zillion different choices in Northern VA.

My heart starts pounding the second I walk in the door and my nose takes in that unfamiliar smell. There's always so much to look at in quantities you won't find in "regular" grocery stores. You'll see varieties of eggplant you never knew existed, an entire row dedicated to rice noodles, and pay $2.99 for a 15 oz. can of Cafe du Monde. I could wander the aisles for hours! Needless to say, I usually have to do this ALONE on my day off since most of my friends aren't as excited as I am to stare at kim chee for 20 minutes. If you have yet to venture to your local Asian market, then I urge you to go AT ONCE! It is a total sensory experience.

This soup was my choice for last week's Soup Swap and I'm happy to say that it got snagged pretty quickly! One thing to note, I used a combination of vegetable and mushroom stock, which gave the soup a much darker colored broth. In the recipe posted below, I highly recommend using the seafood stock or the vegetable stock instead. I hope everyone who picked it at the swap enjoys it. I'd love to hear your comments!

Thai Lemongrass Shrimp Soup
(Tom Yum Kung)
serves 4

1 lb medium shrimp with shells on (and heads if possible)
1/4 cup lime juice
4 tsp Thai fish sauce
1/4 cup minced green chiles (or to taste)
2 Tbsp thin slices of fresh lemongrass
2 tsp minced lemongrass (from the tenderest part of the stalk)
2 tsp vegetable oil
1 qt vegetable or seafood stock
2 Tbsp dried kaffir lime leaves, crumbled
2 Tbsp minced fresh cilantro stems
2 heaping Tbsp fresh cilantro leaves
2 thick slices dried galanga root
2 thick slices fresh ginger root
2 medium shallots, coarsely chopped
2 tsp dried tamarind pulp
1/2 cup straw mushrooms or whatever you prefer (I like sliced creminis)
2 tsp minced scallion
10 cherry tomatoes, halved
1 Tbsp nam prik pao (optional--recipe below or you can buy a jar at an Asian market)

1. Shell the shrimp, reserving the shells (and heads if you have them) Devein and butterfly each shrimp. Place shrimp in a bowl, and mix with 2 tbsp lime juice, 2 tsp fish sauce, 1 Tbsp of minced green chilies, and 1 tsp of minced lemongrass. Set aside in fridge to marinate.

2. Add vegetable oil to a soup pot over high heat. Add the shrimp shells and heads, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes, or until the shells have started to brown. Immediately add the stock, 2 Tbsp of the minced chilies, 2 Tbsp of sliced lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, cilantro stems, galanga root, ginger root, shallots, and tamarind pulp. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 30 minutes.

3. Strain the soup into a clean pot over moderately high heat, pressing liquid out of the solids into a strainer. Add the remaining 2 Tbsp of lime juice, the remaining 2 tsp of fish sauce, the remaining 1 Tbsp of minced chili, the remaining lemongrass paste, the mushrooms, the fresh cilantro leaves, the minced scallion, and the tomatoes. Stir well.

4. Just before serving, add the shrimp along with the shrimp marinade. Warm until the shrimp are just cooked (about 30 seconds), and serve immediately. If desired, top the soup with nam prik pao.

Nam Prik Pao
(chili garlic jam)

Char 8 cloves of garlic, unpeeled, and 2 medium onions, unpeeled, in a heavy saute pan set over high heat. When skins are blackened, remove garlic and onions and let them cool. Peel and discard skins. Place a tablespoon of dried shrimp paste in a little packet of aluminum foil. Place in same pan, over high heat, and cook for 3 minutes on each side. Remove, cool, unwrap, and place shrimp paste in a food processor. Add garlic and onions, as well as 6 dried red chilies, 2 Tbsp ground dried shrimp, 3 Tbsp palm sugar (or brown sugar), and 2 tsp of tamarind concentrate that have been softened with 2 Tbsp of hot water. Make a smooth paste in the processor, adding a little oil if necessary. Add a few Tbsp of vegetable oil to the original pan and fry chili jam over moderately high heat for 2 minutes. Cool and use.

Recipe adapted from The Dean and Deluca Cookbook by David Rosengarten

DC Soup Swap 2007: What you missed!

Yesterday was (what we hope to be) the first of many annual DC Soup Swaps! After invitations went out, we ended up with about 25 people and 16 soups up on the "swapping block". As an added bonus, we also collected about 50 canned soups and goods we'll be donating to Food & Friends.

We had the privilege of holding the event at the beautiful DC Guesthouse. Not only did they have a table LONG enough to accommodate all the soup and snacks, but the four gentlemen (Randy, Ron, Mike, and Tom) who run the place are the most gracious and accommodating hosts you can imagine. When we arrived to setup, they helped us at every turn, and even had a surprise event sign made for us to hang in the window. Plus, the DC Guesthouse is such a unique, inviting, and spacious place; a much better venue than our kitchens at home, which had been put through a spin cycle this week with all our cooking and baking. Margaret made an amazing spread of food. I wish I could take more credit, but I was merely her apprentice as she churned out the quality nibbles: lemon cheesecake squares, Danish blue-stuffed dates, artichoke and sundried tomato torta, spinach samosas, chocolate-dipped strawberries, antipasto platter, vegetable crudite, and more.

Speaking of cooking, we also want to give a big thank you to Tatu for driving from Bowie, MD just to share her signature beef samosas and the BEST DANG CHAI we've ever tasted in our lives! We hope next time you'll bring some of your soup too! Randy made delicious goat cheese pastries and Cindy pitched in with her spinach balls, which were nearly depleted by night's end. She helped with admin tasks along with Laris and "master calligrapher" Leo. I guess you could say it takes a village to put on a 25-person soup swap.

We also had the good fortune of inviting Margaret's friend Heather and her fiance, photography-enthusiast Joe Foley. We are thrilled that Joe captured EXCELLENT shots of the swap. Consequently, a few of our swappers even got a little press coverage over at The DCist for the Jan. 24 photo-of-the-day. You can view a complete slideshow of Joe's swap photos as well as some of our own by clicking on each of the two picture sets below:

DC Soup Swap Slideshow Set 1
(by Joe Foley)



This is probably one of my favorite photos from the event. Above Leo loses his soup sanity and attempts to "unknowingly" break the rules and bag 6 quarts all at once! In the background, I'm evidently oblivious while Randy, Pete and Jen observe with amusement.

DC Soup Swap Slideshow Set 2
(special thanks to Laris for helping us take some of these)



Above: Everyone gathers around for the telling of the soup. Pictured (left to right): Michelle, Lou, Heather L., Joe F., Heather R., and Geoff.

If my math is right, considering we had a few folks who brought a little more or less than 6 quarts each, then combined we had 80 quarts to swap! 80 QUARTS! We really lucked out with this great mix of people. We had everyone from professional chefs to one person who bravely confessed she'd never made soup before in her life! The results were deliciously diverse, inspired, and creatively-packaged.

The Soups

1. Japanese Root Vegetable Soup
2. Squaw Hash
3. Bolivian Corn Chowder
4. Beef Stew with Poblano Peppers & Tomatillos
5. Ancho Chili Con Carne
6. Cold Curried Carrot & Coconut Milk Soup
7. Ribollita (with grated parmesan on the side)
8. Minestrone de Riccobono (with noodles on the side)
9. Black Bean Soup
10. Panang Green Pea Soup
11. Chicken & Wild Rice Soup
12. French Lentil & Chickpea Soup
13. Potato Melange
14. Kîsêlis Latvian Fruit Soup
15. Sweet Potato Chowder (2 Versions: Vegetarian + Bacon-Based, both with Manchego Fricos)
16. Thai Lemongrass Shrimp Soup (with Shrimp Chips)

Most coveted soup:
Geoff's "Ancho Chili Con Carne". And he means CARNE people! We're talking beef chuck steak and pork shoulder!

Most unique soup(s):
Katherine's "Squaw Hash" + Heather & Lou's "Ribollita" (tied). Katherine shared an interesting tale about the origin of "Squaw" Hash, while Lou revealed what he lived off of in college.

Most creatively packaged soup:
Keiko's "Japanese Root Vegetable" (close runners-up were Heather & Lou for their snazzy containers and recipe booklet as well as Pete & Jen for their poem).

Last but not least soup:
Laris' "Kîsêlis Latvian Fruit Soup". We appreciated his bravado in going the fruit soup route. People don't often think of fruit and soup together. But hey, we scored some to take home and we can't wait to try it for dessert one night!

Admittedly, we were a little nervous with this being the first official DC soup swap ever. We're not sure yet, but depending on the numbers for Portland, it could also be the largest. Anyway, we hope to work out any kinks with order and prizes next year, but the bottom line is that we had fun and we have soup. It was a totally unique experience for us and we hope all our swappers enjoyed themselves. We couldn't have done it without you.

A perfect end to the evening was a moment when I noticed Michelle, who was all bundled up and heading for the door. She said goodbye while caressing her bag of loot, exploding with containers of new soup; some made by old friends and some made by new, but all of it made just for her, it turns out.

For those of you who attended, please spread the word about National Soup Swap Day... and let us know how those new soups in your freezer turn out. We hope to feature some (if not all) of your soups at some point here on the blog, so we may be looking for a few guest writers. For those of you who didn't attend and want to next year, get a close look at your competition. It won't be easy to win. These guys are pros now.

For more coverage on our sister swaps in other cities yesterday, check out www.soupswap.com.

Tips on Freezing, Storing, and Reheating Soup

To help prepare for the upcoming soup swap on January 23, we've compiled a list of tips about freezing and labeling soup. We hope you find these savvy soup solutions useful not only for the swap but for any future soups you freeze.

Chilling Soup

To cool down your soup, you can place the uncovered pot in a sink or another bowl filled with ice water. Stirring occasionally will help it cool faster. Don't put hot or warm soup directly into the refrigerator or freezer.

Once it’s relatively cool, you can place it into the refrigerator to chill. Any excess oil will rise to the top and solidify making it easier for you to skim it off before freezing.

Freezing & Storing Soup

First of all, the swap requires six individual quart containers. Dividing a soup into single quart containers works well in any case, because it freezes evenly and more quickly. It's also great because you can pull out a single quart for a meal and still have more frozen soup left in the fridge for another day.

1 quart = 2 pints = 4 cups = 32 fluid ounces

Once chilled, quickly transfer the soup into your containers. Ideally, you’ll want to use moisture-proof, vapor-proof, freezer-safe vessels to minimize freezer burn, avoid leaks, and prevent the transference of any other smells from your freezer. In this case, we picked up 42 ounce packs of Rubbermaid TakeAlongs. Each pack costs about $3.69 and includes 5 sets of containers with lids. These are a little larger than 1 quart, but that's okay since you want a bit of extra room. You could also use Gladware or any other brand available. Even some chinese takeout containers are 1 quart, so if you've got six lying around in your cabinets, you're set.

When freezing any liquid you want at least ¼ inch of extra space in the container to allow the liquid to expand as it freezes. (If you were to use bags, you want to make sure you get as much air out of the bag as possible, but, again, have room for it to expand).

You can also use jars, but it's imperative you have a good deal of space left in the jar so when the soup expands, it doesn't break the glass. You'll want these standing upright in your freezer to avoid leaking.

For an extra airtight seal, you can also take a piece of saran wrap and flatten it over the top of the container before securing a tight lid.

Labeling Soup

To label your containers you can get creative or just write the name of the soup directly on the container or on freezer tape adhered to the lid. It’s up to you. In any case, be sure to include the date the soup is placed into the freezer. For the swap, it’s helpful to label it vegetarian if it is and include any ingredients that could be an issue with allergies.

Reheating Soup

To defrost the soup, never do so at room temperature. Instead, completely thaw it in your refrigerator. Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop in a sauce pan or pot.

Cream-based soups don’t freeze as well as others and can separate when being reheated. If this happens you can whisk vigorously to remix or blend it in a blender for a minute or two. Frozen potato soups can change in texture, but not so much in flavor. Pasta in soups tends to be softer when reheated. One way to guard against this is to undercook the pasta by a couple of minutes or make the soup sans noodles and add the dried pasta when you reheat.

Make sure to enjoy your soup within 2-3 months, otherwise you risk losing flavor.

If we missed anything or you have any other pointers for freezing and storing soup, please leave a comment!

National Soup Swap Day: January 23, 2007

Get out your calendars and rinse off those spoons! National Soup Swap Day will be held officially in Seattle, Boston, and DC on Tuesday, January 23, 2007... And guess who's hosting the first official DC Soup Swap? That's right, the Gracious Bowl!

This grassroots event is going national! After doing my usual check-in in over at BlogHer, I was lucky enough to come across Kalyn Denny's coverage of a soup swap post by Seattle writer and ukulele player Pam Mandel at Nerd's Eye View. Instantly smitten with the idea, I wrote a comment, emails were forwarded and exchanged, and BAM! National Soup Swap Day was declared.

Turns out the the soup swap idea was born a couple of years ago from the brain of bike enthusiast and fellow souplover Knox Gardner.

Instead of simply hoarding all the delicious soup for ourselves I suggested we somehow use this soupy celebration to help a charity or two. After confirming with the Capital Food Bank that homemade soup donations can't be accepted, we decided participants will bring canned soup along with their own concoctions.

"But, on a Tuesdaaay!?" you ask. Right, well, soup swap is on a weeknight to make a point. This is a relatively quick gathering. A little wine, some nibbly things, the "telling of the soup" and then we all get 6 different quarts to take home. Everyone's in bed by 10, dreaming about all that good soup they have stocked up til March. See, isn't that fun and easy?

If you're in the DC area and you'd like to participate in our swap, shoot us an email and we'll give you the details on when, where, and how.

As for all you other cities... you know who you are... Richmond, Raleigh, Baton Rouge, Atlanta, New Orleans, Lafayette, Cincinatti, Baltimore... it's time to REPRESENT! The girls at the Gracious Bowl want to see and hear about your soup swapping that Tuesday! For more information on how to hold your very own gathering, check out Knox's official site, www.soupswap.com.

Detox Broth

It's a new dawn... it's a new day... it's a new life for meeeee... and I'm feeling good!

We've blinked, another year is gone, and 2007 is upon us. I've already decluttered and reorganized all the closets. I've finally mailed out those packages promised to some of my friends long ago. I've cleaned out the fridge. I've restocked the cabinets with vitamins and metabolism-friendly supplements. I've got my mp3 player loaded with motivational music. I'm ready to detox and get back into shape.

My inspiration comes not only from the New Year, but from my friend Jill., who--after birthing two beautiful babies--has found time to exercise regularly with 10 mile jogs. That's right, people! 10 MILES! In a SINGLE OUTING!

So, while I'm warming-up to the idea of regular exercise again, I've started researching better eating habits. In the book Ultrametabolismby Dr. Mark Hyman, one of the recipes he offers for "Phase I" is a broth with has some pretty loose guidelines:

10 cups filtered water
6 cups chopped mixed organic veggies
Fresh or dried herbs and spices, such as bay leaf, oregano, lemongrass, fennel, and ginger.

This seems like a great way to kickoff a renewed lifestyle. Be forewarned, however, as this is not a soup you want to serve for company unless it's your workout partner after hitting the gym. Unlike our New Year's Blue Luck Soup, this is something you drink solely for its nutrients and not for its flavor. That's not to say it tastes bad, it's just more like a mild vegetable tea, if you will. So here's our take on the Ultrametabolism Detox Broth. And yes, our version still gives you a chance at good fortune in the New Year via kale or cabbage. And, hey, it doesn't hurt with that hangover you're nursing from last night's champagne either.

Detox Broth
Makes 6 cups

10 cups filtered water (if you don't have a Brita, now's your excuse to buy one!)
1/2 cup dried shiitake mushrooms
1/2 turnip, chopped
1 medium sweet potato, chopped
1-2 celery stalks, chopped
2 parsnips, chopped
2 leeks, rinsed well, chopped*
2 cups cabbage or kale, rinsed well, chopped, packed
Chopped parsley
Fresh ginger
Dried sweet basil
Dried oregano
Spritz of lemon

1. Fill a large stockpot with the filtered water. Add chopped veggies and herbs and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 2 hours.

2. Strain and drink warm 2 to 3 cups a day as a nutritional and filling snack. Add a squeeze of lemon if you like.

3. Store in a tightly sealed glass container in the fridge for 3 to 5 days.

*The boys over at Cookthink have some great visuals on exactly how to attack a leek. Check it out! While leeks are old news for chef Margaret, I've only made their acquaintance recently. These are some dirty veggies and as with all the ingredients in this broth, you'll want to make sure they're rinsed very well. You don't want to be sipping sand at the end of the day.