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
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
Labels: accompaniment, asian, lemongrass, shrimp, soup swap, vegetarian-option
posted by Margaret at 8:48 PM
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