Thai Coconut Shrimp Soup

I first made Thai Coconut Shrimp Soup in my sister’s kitchen. It was her birthday and we were having a small, intimate celebration by doing what we love most: cooking. My husband was lucky enough to be our taste-tester and he quickly gulped up his (rather large) portion without realizing that his appetite and appreciation confirmed that our recipe was a success.

As my sister took me through the steps of her soup creation, I was jotting down notes while adding and subtracting ingredients and processes in order to make it my own. Since then, I’ve served the soup to both my husband (we love having it for lunch on the weekends) and my best friend. Constantly a hit, my take on Thai Coconut Shrimp Soup is hearty, fragrant, and ideal with a side of fried rice (because my husband and I are guilty of stuffing down portions of heavy carbs with most of our meals).

Marble Crumbs‘ Thai Coconut Shrimp Soup

1 bag (approx. 2 lbs) uncooked, deveined shrimp
12 ounces shitake mushrooms
2 tablespoons grated ginger
1 tablespoon lemongrass paste
2 teaspoons curry paste
2 cups chicken stock
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon corn oil
1.5 tablespoons fish sauce
2 400mL cans coconut milk
juice of 1 lime
pinch of salt

– Heat a large pot with corn oil. Once hot, put in ginger, lemongrass, and curry paste. Mix well.
– Add chicken stock, fish sauce, and brown sugar and let simmer for 15 minutes.
– Add coconut milk and mushrooms and let cook until mushrooms are soft (about 5 minutes) – remember to stir occasionally.
– Add shrimp and cook until pink (about 10 minutes).
– Stir in salt and lime juice. Serve.