Creamy Tom Yum Soup

Recently I blogged about tom yum soup I had in Bangkok without knowing what it was. And recently I had one with a very similar taste in my town. And guess what??? Finally I mastered it! So here is my ultimate tom yum soup recipe. It’s hot, sweet, tangy and creamy. The freshness of the lime leaves, the fragrance of the lemon grass and the zestiness of the lime juice makes it so delicious. You might want to make lots of it as you will want to have more and more.

INGREDIENTS

- 100g king prawns or shrimps, peeled and deveined. Reserve the shells - Mix of one cup of vegetables such as carrots, courgette (cut into matcksticks, green beans (cut in half), red onions (slice), and baby corn (cut in half). - 100g rice noodles or thin pad Thai - 2 tbs tom yum paste (available in most supermarket) - 1 tbsp fish sauce - Juice of 1 lime - 3 tsp brown sugar - Chicken & Shrimp stock - coconut milk, half tin - Salt to taste - Fresh chillies and coriander to garnish

METHOD FOR STOCK You can use just water instead of making this stock. But this method adds a fabulous taste to the soup. 1. 1ltr water 2. few chicken bones such as wings, thigh and neck 3. Shrimp/prawn shells 4. Salt 1. Bring water to boil and add the chicken and shrimp shells with salt and simmer for 20 minutes. Strain the liquid in a bowl, keep aside and discard the bones and shells.

METHOD FOR SOUP 1. In a large pan add the stock with the tom yum paste and bring to boil. 2. Add the salt, sugar, lime juice and fish sauce and simmer for further 10 minutes. Then add the coconut milk and simmer for further 5 minutes. 3. Finally add the vegetables, noodles and prawns. Simmer for another 7-10 minutes until the prawns turn pink. We want the vegetables to stay crunchy and not over cooked. 4. If soup liquid evaporates too much then add some more coconut milk. 5. Finally take off from heat and garnish with freshly chopped coriander, fresh chilies and spring onions. Enjoy! It's as easy as that.