Recipe courtesy of Madhur Jaffrey
Hot and Sour Shrimp Soup
- Level: Intermediate
- Yield: 6 soup servings or 4 main-cour
-
- Nutritional Analysis
- Per Serving
- Serving Size
- 1 of 6 servings
- Calories
- 185
- Total Fat
- 4
- Saturated Fat
- 1
- Carbohydrates
- 18
- Dietary Fiber
- 3
- Sugar
- 6
- Protein
- 20
- Cholesterol
- 102
- Sodium
- 1282
- Total: 1 hr 20 min
- Prep: 35 min
- Cook: 45 min
Ingredients
1 pound medium shrimp
2 fresh lemongrass stalks
4 fresh or dried kaffir lime leaves, or 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
6 cups chicken stock
1 tablespoon fish sauce, or salt, to taste
3 tablespoons lime juice, or to taste
1 teaspoon chile paste
1 (15-ounce) can straw mushrooms, or 12 medium fresh mushrooms
3 fresh hot green chiles, for garnish
3 tablespoons fresh cilantro leaves, for garnish
Directions
- Wash the raw shrimp, then peel and devein, saving the peelings. Wash the shrimp again, drain and pat dry. Cover and refrigerate.
- Cut each lemongrass stick into 3 (2-inch) pieces, starting from the rounded bottom end; discard the straw-like top. Lightly crush the 6 pieces with a heavy pestle, a mallet, or the blade of a knife.
- Combine the lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, the stock, and shrimp peelings in a pan. Bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer very gently for 20 minutes. Strain this stock and return to the rinsed-out pan.
- Add the fish sauce, lime juice, and chile paste. Stir and taste again, adding more fish sauce or lime juice if required.
- Drain the straw mushrooms and add them to the seasoned stock. If using fresh mushrooms cut into quarters, drop into lightly salted boiling water, and boil for 1 minute. Drain and add to the seasoned stock. (The soup may be prepared to this stage several hours ahead if necessary and refrigerated.)
- Prepare the garnishes shortly before you are ready to serve the soup. Cut the green chilies into very fine rounds, and wash and dry the cilantro leaves.
- Just before serving, heat the stock with the mushrooms in it. When it begins to bubble, drop in the peeled shrimp. Cook over a medium heat for about 2 minutes or just until the shrimp turn opaque. Serve the soup immediately in individual bowls, garnished with the green chiles and cilantro leaves.