Alo! Found this delicious recipe online and modified it a bit to the ingredients I had available. It is a wonderful dish to warm you up from the inside for the winter:
Thai Lemongrass Shrimp Soup
(Tom Yum Kung)
1 lb medium shrimp with shells on (and heads if possible)
1/4 cup lime juice
4 tsp Thai fish sauce
1/4 cup minced green chiles (or to taste)
2 tsp minced lemongrass (from the tenderest part of the stalk)
2 tsp vegetable oil
1 qt vegetable or seafood stock
2 stalks of fresh lemongrass cut into thin long pieces
2 heaping Tbsp fresh cilantro leaves and stems
2 thick slices dried galanga root (optional)
2 thick slices fresh ginger root
2 medium shallots, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup straw mushrooms or whatever you prefer
2 tsp minced scallion
10 cherry tomatoes, halved (optional)
1. Shell the shrimp, reserving the shells (and heads if you have them) Devein and cut each shrimp in chunks. Place shrimp in a bowl, and mix with 2 tbsp lime juice, 2 tsp fish sauce, 1 Tbsp of minced green chilies, and 1 tsp of minced lemongrass. Set aside in fridge to marinate.
2. Add vegetable oil to a soup pot over high heat. Add the shrimp shells and heads, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes, or until the shells have started to brown. Immediately add the stock, 2 Tbsp of the minced chilies, 2 Tbsp of sliced lemongrass, cilantro stems, galanga root, ginger root, and shallots. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 30 minutes.
3. Strain the soup into a clean pot, pressing liquid out of the solids into a strainer. Put the new pot on medium high heat and add the remaining 2 Tbsp of lime juice, the remaining 2 tsp of fish sauce, the remaining 1 Tbsp of minced chili, the mushrooms, the fresh cilantro leaves, the minced scallion, and the tomatoes. Stir well and cook for 5 minutes.
4. Just before serving, add the shrimp along with the shrimp marinade. Warm until the shrimp are just cooked (about 30 seconds), and serve immediately. If desired, top the soup with nam prik pao ( a Thai garlic/fish sauce).
