Soup: Old Country Soup

Ingredient for 4 servings

1/2 cup cauliflower florets

1/3 cup broccoli florets

1/2 cup tough-chopped bok choy

1/3 cup chopped white cabbage

1/3 cup chopped button mushrooms

2 oz snow peas

2 oz baby corn

1/2 cup warm water

1 stalk lemon grass, smashed and cut into 1-inch pieces

1 inch galangal root, thinly sliced

2 lime leaves, deveined and shredded

4 cups water 3 tbsp fish sauce

1 tbsp chili paste

8 large shrimps, shelled and deveined

1 tbsp limejuice

Fresh coriander leaves

Preparation

Mix and reserve the lemongrass, galangal, and the lime leaves in a bowl.

Soak the tamarind paste in warm water for 15 minute, mash it and transfer the mud-like mixture to a strainer set into a bowl.  Mash and push with a spoon, forcing the liquid to strain into the bowl.  Scrape off the juice that clings to the underside of the strainer.  Save the juice and discard the solids.

Boil 4 cups water in a soup pot.  Add the reserved lemongrass, galangal, lime leaves, and boil for 1 minute.  Add fish sauce, chili paste and tamarind juice.  Lower heat to medium and cook for 5 minutes.

Add reserved cauliflower, broccoli, bok choy, cabbage, and mushrooms.  Cook for 5 minutes or until the vegetables are heated through but still crunch.  Add reserved snow peas and baby corn.  Cook for another 2 minutes.

Add shrimps and cook for another 2 minutes until the shrimps turn ping and springy.  Add 1 tbsp lime juice, stir and, turn off heat.  Transfer to a soup bowl, top with fresh coriander leaves and serve immediately.

Note

You can make this soup as a vegetable soup by removing the shrimps from the recipe.

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