This soup is a variation of an entree dish we used to serve at 6th Engine. I bulked up the vegetables, and added a couple others, as well as made it brothier. The end result was a filling soup, that has a rich spicy flavor. This is one of those soups that you make in two stages. The first of which is the broth, as that is what carries the soup. You also prepare the vegetables and noodles separately so that the final pick up isn't as much of a heat and serve, but sauteing and adding vegetables, noodles, and broth to finish.
There are a couple of comments to make on this particular dish. Firstly green curry can be very spicy, and a little goes a long way. If you like a dish that is built around heat, add more curry. And the opposite is also true, if you don't like heat, don't omit the curry as it rounds out the flavor, but cut it down a touch.
Another thing to mention is that you can make this easily with chicken or tofu. If you are not a fan of shrimp you can substitute the protein, and obviously not use the shells in the broth. You will get a nice soup just not seafood based.
Ingredients
Lemongrass 6 ea
Kaffir Lime Leaves 6 ea
Kaffir Lime Juice 3 ea
Fish Sauce 3 T
Coconut Milk 16 oz
Chicken Stock 1 Qt
Coconut Oil 3 T
Cilantro 2 oz
Water Chestnuts, sliced 1 can
Bamboo Shoots, halved 1 can
Onion, julienned 1 ea
Peppers, baby sweets, sliced 12 ea
Green Curry 3 T
Ginger, sliced 2 oz
Carrots, thinly sliced 3 ea
Shrimp 16-20 ct, shells on 20 ea
Salt and Pepper to taste
Coriander, ground 1 T
Ginger, ground 1 T
Avenue Spice 1 T
Sweet Potato Noodles 1 pack
Garnish
Cilantro Leaves
Method Of Procedure
Saute ginger, lemon grass, green curry, and kaffir lime in coconut oil* on a medium high heat, while stirring, for about 10 minutes to get a little color and caramelization.
Add coconut milk, chicken stock, fish sauce, cilantro stems, kaffir lime juice (you can substitute regular lime), and shrimp shells. Bring to a boil, then drop to a simmer for about 1 hour.
In a separate pot bring some water to a boil and add your sweet potato threads. Cook at a simmer for about 6 minutes then shock and cook. Once cooled add a little oil and mix so they don't stick, and cut them into thirds. (The actual size doesn't really matter, you just want to make them smaller to eat).
In large saute pan, heat your coconut oil and add carrots, peppers, and onions and cook on high heat until softened. Add your bamboo shoots, and water chestnuts then season with avenue spice, coriander, and ginger.
Using a stick blender (or regular blender) puree the broth until everything in incorporated then strain through a small mesh sieve. Season the broth to taste with salt and pepper. Adjust the heat and acid accordingly using lime juice and hot sauce (you can add more curry but it's better to use that only at the start).
To serve, season your shrimp with salt and pepper, then saute. Add your vegetables, noodles, and broth and bring to a quick boil. Season for the last time and place into a bowl. Garnish with cilantro leaves for color.
*If you don't have coconut oil, you can use any neutral oil to cook with
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