With the New Year here many are thinking of loosing those extra holiday pounds. A great healthy low calorie choice is my satisfying Mushroom Tom Yum. You can use a variety of mushrooms including straw mushrooms, shiitaki, button and crimini or any other favourites you find in your markets.

I like using at least 3 varieties for added texture and flavour to Mushroom Tom Yum.

Ingredients

1 cup fresh small white mushrooms, cut in half
1 can whole straw mushrooms, drained
1 cup fresh sliced shiitaki or crimini mushrooms
1 can whole straw mushrooms, drained
3 stalks fresh lemon grass-bruised and slit and cut in half
6 cups water, shrimp or fish stock
fish sauce (nam plah)
4-6 slices fresh galanga (kah)
4-6 fresh Thai Lime leaves (bai magrood)
1 cube Knorr Tom Yum Soup base
2 tsp jarred Tom Yum Soup Base
1 small red onion cut into 1" pieces
2 small tomatoes, cut in quarters

Finishing Soup
2 green onions, cut in thin slices
cilantro sprigs for garnish
Juice of 1-2 limes, to desired sourness
Fish Sauce for desired saltiness

To make stock:

Add 6 cups of water or broth to a stock pot, add lemongrass, and Thai lime leaves. To prepare lemongrass-remove outer hard leaves, cut off the top third and the bottom root, small several times with the back of a clever to release the fragrant oils, cut in half then slit each half down lengthwise. Add the sliced galangal and lime leaves.

Add the Knorr cubes and Tom Yum paste, stir until disolved, taste and adjust flavours.

Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 20-25 minutes to make a nice stock. Strain out the shrimp shells and lemon grass.

Add the onion and mushrooms. Bring to a simmer, add the onions. Simmer for a couple of minutes. Add in the tomato wedges. After 30-35 seconds, turn off heat, add lime juice to the desired sourness and fish sauce to attain the proper saltiness.

Serve immediately.

Garnish with green onions and cilantro sprigs. Offer guests fish sauce, chopped chiles and lime wedges to adjust to their taste.