Spicy Mixed Veggie Soup with Shrimp (Gaeng Liang Goong)

This soup is especially healthy as it does not contain coconut milk as many Thai curries in the South require. You can choose a variety of seasonal vegetables with or without the shrimp, and even a mixture of seafood works quite nicely.

Fresh green beans, white mushroom quartered, and even a bit of cabbage cut into 1" chunks makes a nice combination in place of the squashes and straw mushrooms.

Thai soups are always flavourful and exciting to the palate yet easy to make.

Ingredients

4 oz shrimp, peeled and deveined
3 cups fat free chicken stock (low sodium)
1 lemongrass outer leaves and top removed, slit and cut in half
2 pair fresh Kaffir Lime leaves/bai Magroot
1 cup kapocha squash cut into bite pieces
6 baby corn - each cut into thirds
1/2 cup straw mushrooms - cut in 1/2
2 small zucchini type squash

Paste

2 tablespoons coriander root - chopped
3 tablespoons shallots- chopped
3 tablespoons garlic - chopped
2 red chiles - chopped
1/2 oz young green peppercorns
3 tablespoons ground dried shrimps
1 tablespoon white peppercorn
1 cup (3 fl oz) water

Garnish: cilantro leaves or Thai Basil.
Serve with a lime wedge

Optional to add heat and flavour serve with Nam Phrik Pao condiment so each person can adjust flavour to their taste.

Preparation

Place dry and wet ingredients into a mortor and pound to a smooth paste adding the water as needed, or put all the ingredients for the paste into a blender and blend until smooth. Once it is smooth put the paste into a pan along with the chicken stock, lemon grass and kaffir lime leaves, and bring to the boil, simmer for 10 minutes.

Add the kabocha and babycorn and cook for 2 minute. Then add the mushrooms and zucchini and cook for another 2 minutes.

Add the lemon basil and fish sauce (nam pla) followed by the shrimp and cook for 2 minutes. Remove lemon grass and kaffir lime leaves.

Serve.

Serves 4 as part of a Thai meal, or 2 as lunch entree
Preparation and cooking time : 30 minute