Hot and Sour Shrimp Soup
3 cups water or light chicken stock
8 ounces shrimps or prawns, shelled and divided
2 garlic cloves, minced
5 kaffir lime leaves
3 slices fresh or dried ginger
1/4 cup fish sauce
2 stalks lemon grass, lower 1/3 portion only, cut into 1 inch lengths
5 hot green Thai chilli peppers, optional
1/2 cup sliced straw mushrooms
1/4 cup lime juice
1 teaspoon roasted chilli paste
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro or coriander leaves
Bring the stock to a boil over medium heat. Add the garlic, lime leaves, ginger, fish sauce and lemon grass, then the mushrooms and chilli peppers, if using. Simmer for 2 minutes. Add the shrimp and reheat to boiling. Cook until the shrimps are pink, opaque and firm but no longer than 1 minute. When the shrimps are cooked, place the lime juice and chilli paste in a serving bowl. Pour the soup into the bowl, stir and garnish with cilantro leaves.
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