Thai soups are one of my favorite “food groups” of all time. I love how such an incredible variety of pungent flavors can come together to make a balanced, sense-tantalizing experience. Many Thai foods are quite easy to prepare, but the ingredients can seem intimidating to learn at first. Once you explore these flavors, your soup repertoire will never be the same again!
Ingredients:
- 2 teaspoons of vegetable oil
- 1 medium clove of garlic, peeled and finely minced
- 1 medium shallot, peeled, trimmed and finely minced
- 3 stalks of lemongrass, trimmed and very finely minced
- 2 small fresh red Thai birds-eye chilies, finely sliced*
- 3 cups fish or chicken stock
- 1 teaspoon shrimp paste**
- 1 pound piece of pumpkin (kabocha or sugar pie pumpkin or butternut squash)
- 4 medium kaffir lime leaves, torn in half
- 1-13.5 ounce can of coconut milk (apx. 2 cups)
- 1- 2 tablespoons fish sauce or more to taste
- ½ to 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- Kosher salt to taste
- 12 ounces cooked, peeled shrimp
- 1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes, cut in half
- One bunch of Thai basil
- Additional sliced chilies, cilantro and lime wedges for optional garnish
Instructions:
- Cut pumpkin in half from top to bottom and cut into quarters with a sharp knife. Using a teaspoon, scoop out seeds and scrape away the soft orange fibers and discard. Cut pumpkin into ¾ inch cubes.
- Heat a medium soup pot on medium high and add oil. Add garlic, shallot, lemongrass and chilies and cook on medium high heat for about 2 minutes. Add stock, shrimp paste and pumpkin cubes and half of the torn kaffir leaves, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 10 -15 minutes until pumpkin is tender.
- Add coconut milk and bring to a simmer, do not boil. Add fish sauce, sugar and lime juice and salt to taste, tasting several times to balance flavors. Add shrimp, tomatoes and the rest of the lime leaves. Heat just 2-3 minutes to warm through. Serve with basil leaves, sliced chilies and lime wedges.
*Handle chilies with gloves, they are hot!
** If you cannot find shrimp paste, add more fish sauce as needed. 
February 9th, 2012
Mmmm that looks rlleay good! Did you take these photos, R? With the new dSLR? They are looking good!!