Recipe: Tom Yum Soup (Cambodian)

TOM YUM SOUP
"This recipe came from a girl calted Sayon whom I met on a trip to Cambodia. Her determination to take care of her family and perseverance to succeed, despite great hardship, had a big impact on me." - Sharon Hapton



4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
2 large onions, thinly sliced
2 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
1 shallot, thinly sliced
2 thick slices fresh ginger
2 thick slices galangal* or fresh ginger (optional)
1 stalk lemongrass, trimmed, gently bashed with a rolling pin and cut into quarters crosswise
1 to 2 tsp tom yum paste*
3 to 4 kaffir lime leaves
1 clove garlic, minced
20 large raw shrimp, peeled and deveined or 1 lb cubed or diced
boneless, skinless chicken (optional)
1 (14 oz) can unsweetened coconut milk, well shaken
8 oz Gemini or white button mushrooms, sliced
2 plum tomatoes, diced
2 to 3 tsp fish sauce* (according to taste)
1 lb rice noodles, soaked in cold water for 2 hours then drained (optional)
Finely chopped cilantro for garnish

In a large pot, combine the stock, onions, carrots, shallot, ginger, galangal (if using), lemongrass, tom yum paste, lime leaves and garlic. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes for the flavors to develop.

Add the shrimp or chicken (if using). Simmer, uncovered, until the shrimp are no longer pink (about 3 minutes) or until the chicken is no longer pink inside (about 10 minutes).

Add the coconut milk. Bring the soup back to a simmer. Add the mushrooms and tomatoes. Bring the soup back to a simmer. Remove the ginger, galangal (if using) and lemongrass. Season with fish sauce to taste.

If using rice noodles, plunge them into a pot of boiling water to heat through, then drain well.

Divide the noodles among the soup bowls, then ladle the soup over the top. Garnish with a flourish of cilantro.

*A TASTE OF THAI
Check out the Asian aisle in your supermarket for these Thai essentials.
- Galangal: A rhizome that looks like fresh ginger and has a similar taste. Substitute fresh ginger, or leave it out.
- Tom yum paste: An aromatic seasoning used in Thai hot and sour soup.
- Fish sauce: A salty liquid made from fermented fish that's used as a seasoning. It's strong-flavored and pungent, so use it sparingly.

Sharon Hapton, Founder, Soup Sisters and Broth Brothers

Makes about 4 servings
Used by permission to Recipelink.com from Random House
Adapted from source: The Soup Sisters and Broth Brothers Cookbook Edited by Sharon Hapton