Thai Sweet And Sour Soup With Lobster Mushrooms, Lemongrass, And Shrimp

4 from 1 ratings

This soup is based on the classic Thai dish known as tom yum goong; the secret to making a great one is to put all your effort and love into making a great stock. I encourage you to use dried lobster mushrooms here, as their rehydration liquid, along with the toasted shrimp shell stock, makes a fine base for the soup. Extra bonus: The rehydrated lobster mushrooms retain a touch of chewiness that makes for a great textural contrast. — Shroom, by Becky Selengut Click Here to See More Soup Recipes

Servings

servings

Ingredients

1 ounce dried lobster mushrooms (or ½ pound fresh)
3 tablespoon coconut oil (or vegetable oil)
½ pound sustainable shrimp, peeled and deveined (save the peels)
1 small carrot, small diced
1 stalk celery, small diced
½ small yellow onion, small diced
¼ cup dry white wine
2 stalks lemongrass
1 bunch cilantro, stems and leaves separated
5 kaffir lime leaves
3 serrano chiles, 2 split in half, leaving the stem intact, 1 thinly sliced, seeds and all
3 ⅛-inch-thick coins (slices) fresh ginger
6 cup water
1 scant teaspoon fine sea salt, plus a pinch
1 tomato, medium diced (about 1 cup), or 1 whole canned tomato
2–3 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
2–3 tablespoon fish sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
¼ cup fresh thai basil, stemmed and torn into bite-size pieces

Directions

If using dried lobster mushrooms, rehydrate as directed below. Save the rehydration liquid and chop the rehydrated mushrooms into medium dice. Clean fresh lobster mushrooms as directed below and cut into medium dice.
Place 2 tablespoons of the coconut oil in a soup pot over high heat. Add the shrimp shells and toast until lightly browned and nutty smelling, about 5 minutes. Add the carrot, celery, and onion and sauté until lightly browned, 8 to 10 minutes more. Deglaze the pot with the white wine, making sure to scrape up any bits stuck to the pot. Prep your lemongrass. If the stalks are whole, chop off the top two-thirds and compost them (they’re tough and don’t have the intense flavor of the bottom third). Smash the bottom third with the side of a knife to help release the essential oils. To the stock, add the smashed lemongrass, cilantro stems, kaffir lime leaves, 2 split serrano chiles, and ginger. Add the lobster mushroom rehydration liquid, if using dried mushrooms, and enough of the water to equal 6 cups of liquid total. Bring the stock to a boil over high heat, then lower to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes.
Strain the stock through a fine-mesh sieve into a container, pressing on the ingredients. Clean the soup pot and return to the stove over medium-high heat. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon coconut oil to the pot along with the lobster mushrooms. Add the pinch of salt and sauté until brown and caramelized, 8 to 10 minutes. It’s OK to get a little bit of char on the mushrooms; the flavor adds a lovely smokiness to the broth. Add the diced tomato and stock. Bring back to a boil over medium-high heat. Simmer for 10 minutes to infuse the flavor of the mushrooms into the soup. Add the raw shrimp and immediately turn off the heat and cover (the shrimp will poach using this technique and won’t overcook). After 2 minutes, lift the lid and add the lime juice, fish sauce, remaining 1 teaspoon salt, and sugar. Adjust the amounts of these final seasonings to your taste. Garnish each bowl with sliced serrano chiles, basil, and cilantro leaves.