I don't cook a lot of Asian dishes, but I started experimenting with this soup a few months ago for something new and different. I'll warn you right up front, it contains shrimp. Every couple of months or more, I post a recipe that includes fish – in December I posted a one for mussels. I am the wimpy vegetarian, after all, and eat fish on occasion. I'm allergic to nuts and have had some issues with soy products in the past, so my non-meat protein options are a little more limited than for most vegetarians.
For a vegetarian dish, I suggest substituting firm tofu for the fish.
I think it's good step out of our comfort zone. We don't have to live there for long, just a quick visit to push our creative juices or skills in a new direction. In cooking it means exploring new ingredients, trying new flavor combinations, and learning new techniques. It brings me into new grocery stores or markets, and allows me to visit a new culture for awhile in my kitchen.
Cook's Tips
- Smash the lemongrass stalks using the side of a chef's knife until the stalk completely split in multiple places and fan apart somewhat. If the stalks are long, cut them in half before smashing.
- Galangal might be a new ingredient for you, and worth looking for, as it adds some nice depth of flavor to the soup. It looks very similar to ginger root, and has a similar flavor but is much more aromatic and peppery. I use a dried form I found in the spices area of my market, but you can also buy it online. It's a spice common in Indonesian and Thai dishes. Some say that ginger can be used as a substitute, and it's true, but it's not the same. First look for galangal.
- I have a shallot confit by L'Epicurien that I use in a lot of dishes. If you can't find it, substitute garlic confit but cut the amount by half. The shallots in the confit taste roasted, so minced roasted garlic cloves should work too.
- The angel hair pasta I used is packaged in ‘nests', but for ease of eating the noodles in the soup I broke mine up quite a bit before adding to the broth at the end.
Spicy Shrimp Soup: #ProgressiveEats
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 yellow onion halved, sliced crosswise once or twice, and thinly sliced
- 2 lemongrass stalks trimmed and smashed with side of a chef’s knife
- 3 pieces dried galangal smashed with side of a chef’s knife
- 2 large shallots thinly sliced
- 1 quart vegetable broth
- ½ tsp lime zest 1/2 lime
- 2 tsp chili paste or to taste
- 1 Tbsp shallot confit I use one from L’Epicurien
- 1 Tbsp lime juice
- 1 tsp palm coconut sugar
- 2 'nests' of Angel hair pasta coarsely chopped
- ½ pound shrimp peeled, deveined, tails removed, cut in half
- Thai basil
- cilantro
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a heavy pot like a Le Creuset over medium-high heat. Add the onion, lemongrass, galangal, and shallots to the pan and sauté for 10 minutes. It should be very aromatic.
- Stir in the broth and lime zest, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Stir in the chili paste, shallot confit, lime juice, and sugar. Simmer for 5 minutes.
- Add the angel hair pasta and the shrimp, and simmer for 3 minutes, or until the shrimp are opaque.
- Thinly slice basil and cilantro for garnish.
Liz says
What a marvelous, flavorful soup, Susan! I need to add a few things to my grocery list—thanks for your tips 🙂
The Wimpy Vegetarian says
Thanks so much Liz! What a fun theme it was this month!
Laura @MotherWouldKnow says
Susan, You’re going to help me get out of my comfort zone, big-time. I love lemon grass but have only cooked with it a few times and I’m not familiar with galangal at all. So right there you have given me two ingredients to start learning about. Then, onto the various confit, which I’ve used, but not in soup. This will be a huge hit in my house, where shrimp are often on the menu and soup is a favorite for one-pot meals. Hooray for Progressive Eats!
The Wimpy Vegetarian says
Galangal was completely new to me! And what a great find. Thanks so much for your kind comments! This soup would be wonderful with your asparagus side dish 🙂
Norma Chang says
As I am writing this I happened to look up and what did I see from the window? SNOW! Yes, snow if falling, I am not at all happy.
How comforting it would be to have a big bowl of your soup right at this moment.
Heather | girlichef says
I’ve always wondered about galangal, I’ve seen it as the Asian market, but was never quite sure what to use it in, so I waited. I’ll have to pick some up next time! This soup sounds amazing, just the kind of flavorful, brothy soup I adore…with lots of goodies in it.
Barb | Creative Culinary says
This looks amazing Susan, worth some discovery to find the right ingredients too. I don’t need many excuses to head to my favorite local spice shop but you gave me one!
Jeanette | Jeanette's Healthy Living says
I love the flavors in this soup – it sounds amazing! Can’t wait to try this.
Christie says
This soup looks amazing. My husband loved in Singapore for many years. This will remind him of home.
Suzanne says
What a beautiful bowl of soup. I love Asian food, love it so much but am sadly ignorant about how to really prepare it well. Your soup looks delicious, I love Thai basil, plant it every spring. Can’t wait to give this a try.
Oui, Chef says
Such a beautiful photo, Susan, and this dish sounds great!