Thai Cooking Lemongrass Soup

By courtneyepowell

Ingredients

• 10 uncooked prawns, unpeeled
• 1/2 c shitake, oyster and other wild mushrooms
• 4 c water
• Large pinch of salt
• 4 T fish sauce, divided
• 6 slices ginger
• 2-3 Thai chilies, minced (about 102 T minced)
• 2 stalks lemongrass, chopped and bruised (pound to release oil)
• 4 kaffir lime leaves, torn
• 4 T lime juice
• 3 T fish sauce
• 1/2 t sugar
• Handful of cilantro

Preparation

Step 1

Peel and devein the prawns. Keep the shells to make stock. Bring water to boil and add prawn shells. Boil for about 5-10 mins and strain the stock. Add lemongrass, ginger and kaffir lime leaves to the stock and bring back to a boil. Season with 1T fish sauce. Add mushrooms. A few minutes later, add prawns and simmer until prawns just change color. In a serving bowl, mix lime juice, 3T fish sauce, chilies, sugar and cilantro. This is the sauce - DON'T cook it. Ladle into the soup AFTER removing from the heat. Check seasoning...it should be salty, sour and hot.