Thai Coconut Shrimp Soup

Name: Thai Coconut Shrimp Soup
Cook time: 20 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: thai
Ingredients: 2000 ml water divided; 180 g rice noodles medium-width; 15 ml neutral oil; 2 stalks lemongrass trimmed and smashed; 20 g fresh ginger thinly sliced; 4 cloves garlic cloves minced; 20 g red curry paste; 900 ml low-sodium chicken stock; 800 ml coconut milk full-fat, shaken well; 200 ml water divided; 200 g mushrooms sliced; 30 ml fish sauce; 8 g brown sugar; 3 g fine salt; 1 g ground black pepper; 450 g shrimp peeled and deveined; 45 ml lime juice freshly squeezed; 15 g cilantro leaves and tender stems chopped; 2 stalks scallions thinly sliced; 1 piece red chili thinly sliced

A home-kitchen Thai-inspired coconut shrimp soup built from lemongrass, ginger, garlic, and red curry paste, then finished with shrimp, mushrooms, lime, herbs, and rice noodles. The broth is rich from coconut milk but sharpened at the end with lime and fish sauce, and the noodles are cooked separately in plenty of water so they stay springy.

By Julienne

Cook time: 20 minutes

Servings: 4

Ingredients

2000 ml water divided
180 g rice noodles medium-width
15 ml neutral oil
2 stalks lemongrass trimmed and smashed
20 g fresh ginger thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic cloves minced
20 g red curry paste
900 ml low-sodium chicken stock
800 ml coconut milk full-fat, shaken well
200 ml water divided
200 g mushrooms sliced
30 ml fish sauce
8 g brown sugar
3 g fine salt
1 g ground black pepper
450 g shrimp peeled and deveined
45 ml lime juice freshly squeezed
15 g cilantro leaves and tender stems chopped
2 stalks scallions thinly sliced
1 piece red chili thinly sliced

Instructions

Bring 2000 ml of the water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add the rice noodles and cook until just tender, 4 to 6 minutes, then drain well and rinse briefly with cool water. Set aside. The noodles are flexible and springy with no hard center.
Set a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the neutral oil, then the lemongrass, ginger, garlic, and red curry paste. Cook, stirring, for 1 to 2 minutes until fragrant and the paste darkens slightly. The aromatics smell toasted and the curry paste clings to the pan.
Pour in the chicken stock, coconut milk, and remaining 200 ml water, then add the mushrooms, fish sauce, brown sugar, salt, and black pepper. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 8 minutes. Mushrooms are softened and the broth is lightly flavored through, with small bubbles around the edge rather than a hard boil.
Add the shrimp and simmer gently for 3 to 4 minutes, just until they turn pink and curl into loose C-shapes. Do not boil hard. Shrimp are opaque and just cooked through at the center.
Turn off the heat. Stir in the lime juice. Taste and adjust seasoning with more lime juice only if needed. Add the cilantro and scallions, then ladle the soup over the drained noodles in bowls. Top with the sliced chili if using. The broth tastes bright and balanced, and the herbs stay fresh and green.