This soup is a great introduction to cooking Thai cuisine at home: A lot of ingredients, but very simple steps. Omit the fish sauce and shrimp for a completely vegan dish.
Coconut Green Curry Soup with Shrimp yield: 1 gallon
Ingredients:
2ea lemongrass, smashed and cut into 2” pieces
5ea bay leaf
3ea chilies, smoked and dried (chipotle)
3bu scallions, sliced ¼” thick
1/2c ginger, fresh and sliced 1/8”
1/4c garlic cloves, minced fine
1ea yellow onion, julienne
4ea carrots, paysanne
3ea Fresno chili, sliced thin
2c shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and caps sliced 1/8” thick
1/4c green curry paste
1 can coconut milk, 13.5fl oz.
1 can coconut cream, 13.5fl oz.
3ea limes, juiced
1/4c fish sauce
3ea star anise, whole
1t anise seed
5ea cardamom pods
TT salt
Directions:
In a large non-reactive pot, add 1 gallon water, ¼ of the onion, ½ the garlic, 1 bunch of the scallions with tops and bottoms, bay leafs, sliced ginger, star anise, anise seed, cardamom, shiitake stems, any carrot or chili scrap, and smoked chilies. Bring this to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Let simmer hard for 1-2 hours. This is your base of the soup.
Flavor, flavor, flavor!
Once base is flavorful, strain off with a fine mesh sieve. Return liquid back into pot. Add the coconut cream, coconut milk, curry paste, the rest of the onion and garlic, shiitake slices, carrots, 2 pinches of salt and fish sauce. Return to a boil and reduce to a simmer for 45 minutes or until onions are tender and translucent. Add the scallion and Fresno slices, and lime juice. Simmer for another 5 minutes.
Taste the soup. Add more salt, lime or fish sauce here if needed.
This soup should be as rich, punchy, bright and as flavorful as it smells. If it is bland, it is because it’s under-seasoned: Add small amounts of salt and lime juice until a desired balance is reached.
Serve topped with chopped cooked shrimp, cilantro, fresh lime juice, radish, slices of Fresno chili and scallion.
Optional: If I’m having this for dinner, I like to serve this soup over brown rice. You’ll get a little more sustenance and protein out of it to last you through the night.
