Tom Yum(m) Soup
Where have I been? You guessed it! On an adventure into Thai cooking!
OMG! I LOVE Thai food! And now I have just a few beautiful recipes to share that I have made my own.
For today, here is my Tom Yum(m) Soup! The picture on this post is of my lunch. Isn't it beautiful!
I make it extra, extra hot and spicy!
Okay, here goes:
My Tom Yum(m) Soup
Ingredients List:
6-8 cups (1-1/2 to 2 boxes ) Chicken Stock (Organic Pacifica brand is very good)
2 stalks of lemon grass
Zest of 1 medium lime
(Note: Some recipes call for Tafir (lime) leaves. They are hard to find for me right now, but lime zest works great as a substitute.)
5-6 red Thai chili peppers (wear gloves for handling these -they WILL burn you or your eyes!)
Take off stems and slice lengthwise into 2 or 4 strips and then chop and put aside, keep seeds for cooking too
2-3 tiny fresh red cherry peppers (the size of a cherry tomato) (do not use these seeds - they might make you cough) -or 1/4-1/5 of a fresh red bell pepper - sliced thin
Generous handful of Shitake mushrooms (can be substituted with brown mushrooms) sliced thin
1 lb. package of frozen large raw peeled and devined shrimp (thawed in cold water while you prep recipe)
(or fresh raw peeled and devined large shrimp)
Juice of medium lime
1/3 cup fresh cilantro
1-3 T. of high quality fish sauce
Broccoli - one large stalk chop up the stem into thin pieces and also the flowers into little pieces
1-4 short dollops of Chili sauce* (I use Sriraja Paniich or Taste of Thai Garlic Chili Sauce)
(*Note: I like this better than regular garlic which I don't really like to handle and find it integrates very nicely and doesn't "stand out" if you know what I mean.)
1/2 package of ripe fresh cherry tomatoes
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Prep:
Prepare all the ingredients as directed above and in step 2 below before beginning.
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Directions:
1. Pour chicken stock into a pan and bring to boil.
2. Cut off the bulb and any brown tops of the lemongrass and peel the outer layers. Chop the good (edible) white portion of the lemongrass into tiny pieces. Cut the upper stems in 3-4 places slightly (not all the way through) and then bruise (hammer and bend) and add the pieces and the bruised stems into the now boiling chicken broth for about 2 minutes
3. Add the garlic sauce dollops to taste (I use 4 good ones). Add the cut up Thai peppers and seeds, the red peppers, lime zest, and mushrooms. Reduce heat to medium-simmer for 2 minutes.
4. Add shrimp and broccoli and simmer medium for 4 minutes until shrimp is pink and done.
5. Reduce heat to med-low. Add fish sauce, juice from one whole medium lime, and tomatoes.
Can cover, if desired. Cook about 3 minutes. Stir well -gently simmer.
(Usually this is about perfect for my tastes. But test it for yourself. If too salty, add more lime juice. If too sour, add 1/4 t. sugar. Not spicy enough for your taste, maybe another dollop of chili sauce will take it there!)
*Options: 1/4 t. sea salt
1/4 t. sugar
1/2 can evaporated milk or coconut milk
(Note: I don't add milk to mine or sugar)
6. Remove lemongrass stalks and discard. (They add flavor to the soup but are not edible like the chopped parts.)
7. Serve with fresh cilantro and/or Thai chili sauce.
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As you can see above, I make mine VERY spicy! I swear by this soup! It will clean you up, clean you out, make your eyes water, wash out your sinuses, possibly helps prevent cancer (yes. really! see this link!), and fill you up, satisfy your hunger and appetite, and for almost no calories. Let me repeat: almost NO CALORIES!
My recipe comes to about 78 calories a cup or 155 calories for a 2-cup serving.
For a more traditional recipe with coconut milk where I got my inspiration (I don't like coconut and like mine spicier.): http://thaifood.about.com/od/thairecipes/r/tomyumkung.htm
1-2 cups equals a very nice serving. I save the extra soup right in a sauce pan and reheat it and have lunch for three or four days.
It is grrreeat for detoxing and dieting as well as hot Thai taste and great nutrition!
Enjoy!
-bbffair
