THAI COCONUT MILK SOUP WITH PRAWNS

Thai Coconut Milk Soup with Prawns image

Provided by Harold Dieterle

Time 25m

Yield 1 serving

Number Of Ingredients 18

2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon garlic clove, finely-minced
1 teaspoon ginger, finely-minced
1/2 teaspoon lemongrass, finely-minced
1 teaspoon shallot, finely-minced
1 cup coconut milk
2 Kaffir lime leaves, available at Asian grocery stores
1/3 cup water, or light stock
1 1/2 teaspoons fish sauce, to taste
1 teaspoon palm sugar, coarsely-chopped, available at Asian grocery stores
Thai dried chile, or to taste
3 head-on prawns, large, peeled and sliced in half lengthwise
1/3 cup Asian long beans, cut into 1-inch pieces, or substitute green beans
1 tablespoon soft tofu, diced
2 tablespoons pan-roasted mushrooms, such as shiitake or shimeji, sauteed in a very hot pan with a little olive oil and salt
Lime, to taste
Cilantro leaves, to garnish
Thai chili oil, to garnish

Steps:

In a small saucepan set over medium-high heat, heat the vegetable oil until shimmering. Add the garlic, ginger, lemongrass and shallot. Saute until fragrant, about one minute. Add the coconut milk and bring to a simmer. Add the kaffir lime leaves and water, and return the soup to a simmer. Add fish sauce to taste.
To the saucepan, add the palm sugar, and let the soup gently simmer for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the dried chili and stir to combine. Simmer the soup for about 10 minutes, to blend the flavors.
Remove the heads from the prawns and squeeze the roe into the soup. Discard the heads. Peel and slice the shrimp and add to the soup. Simmer gently for a minute, until the shrimp are barely cooked through. Add the long or green beans, tofu, and mushrooms to the soup. Remove the soup from the heat and finish with a squeeze of lime juice. Pour the soup into a deep bowl, removing the kaffir lime leaves. Garnish with cilantro and chili oil. Serve immediately.