Tom Yum Kung

A number of years ago I wrote myself a note to find out how Egg Drop Soup is made.  Something else always got higher priority on the list but recently I had a craving for a soup I used to get at a Thai restaurant I lived near.  So I’ve finally started dabbling with both Egg Drop Soup and Thai style lemongrass soup (Tom Yum).  Still have a way to go to come up with what will be my recipe for either one but this is one of my inspirations and decided it must be a sign that I should share it (and some others) as it was the featured recipe today at Food.com.  This one gets high ratings so it certainly has to be worth the effort.  The beauty is substutions and additions work too!!

You can use chicken in place of shrimp.
You can add more vegetables.
You can add your favorite noodles or rice.
Swap out (or not even use) mushrooms for another kind.
You get the idea........

Tom Yum Kung

• 3 cups chicken stock
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 1 stalk lemongrass, sliced thinly (tough outer leaves and bulb removed)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons galanga powder (Thai ginger)
• 3 kaffir lime leaves, thinly sliced (or one large strip of lime peel)
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 -2 small chili pepper, de-seeded and sliced (as hot as you like or mild)
• 1 medium bell pepper, sliced (any color)
• 1/3 cup cilantro
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce
• 1 1/2 cups shiitake mushrooms, sliced thinly (or any small mushroom)
• 12 large raw shrimp, shells removed
• 1 (11 ounce) can coconut milk

Pour stock and lime juice into a deep cooking pot.

Place lemongrass in a food processor and process until finely grated. Add to pot. The bulb can be thrown into the pot for additional flavor (remove before serving).

Add the galanga powder to the pot.

Add garlic, chilies, peppers, and Kaffir leaves (or lime peel). Bring to a mild boil.

Add the mushrooms and shrimp. Gently simmer 'til shrimp is pink.

Turn down the heat to low then add the coconut milk and fish sauce. Taste to adjust seasonings, adding more chilies and/or fish sauce (instead of salt) as desired.

Serve in bowls with cilantro sprinkled over. And on the side, steamed jasmine rice and quarters of fresh lime.