Thai Red Curry-Coconut Soup with Grilled Shrimp & Sticky Rice
This is officially my favorite soup, i don’t know how to describe it except that it’s the bomb! If you’re familiar with Thai food/flavors you know exactly what i’m talking about. Fresh and bright flavors that pops with the depth of red curry paste and the richness from the coconut milk. The sticky rice brings it full circle… ya know what i mean?
The moral of the story? In desperate situations consult the refrigerator Gods and your inner chef before hanging yourself. If they don’t answer.. well, go ahead!
Thai Red Curry-Coconut Soup with Grilled Shrimp & Sticky Rice
(serves 2 or 4)
For the soup:
- 1 quart FRESH chicken stock (otherwise don’t bother)
- 1 tablespoon peanut oil
- 1/2 inch chunk of galangal or ginger, peeled
- 1 lemongrass stalk, chopped
- 2 kaffir lime leaves (or strips of lime zest)
- 2 or 3 shiitake mushrooms, sliced
- 1 tbs red curry paste
- 1 cup coconut milk
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- Salt to taste
- a few drops fish sauce (optional)
For the garnish:
- 1 cup sticky rice, cooked
- 8 jumbo shrimps
- julienne of snow peas, carrots, peppers
- cilantro, cleaned
- lime, juice & zest
- black sesame seeds or peanuts (optional)
- Heat the peanut oil in a medium saucepan, add the ginger (or galangal), lemongrass, red curry paste and stir fry for a minute, until fragrant. Add the chicken stock, the coconut milk, the cream and the lime leaves and bring to a boil. Simmer for 15 minutes until the broth is slightly reduced with a nice creamy consistency. Strain the liquid and discard the ginger, lemongrass and lime leaves. Return the soup to the pan and add the shiitake mushroom and simmer 3 more minutes. Adjust seasoning. Add a few splashes of fish sauce if using. Add more curry, lime juice if necessary. Listen to your inner chef.
- While the soup is simmering, grill the shrimps on a skewers. Season with sea salt. Sautee quickly the julienne of vegetables (10 seconds).
- Place some sticky rice at the bottom of the bowls, pour the soup around it. Place the julienne and the grilled shrimps on top. Sprinkle with cilantro, lime zest and sesame seeds or peanuts. Serve hot and enjoy!
Tags: Soup
Tuesday, February 10th, 2009
Soup
February 10th, 2009 at 5:26 am
oooo….look at the colours!! Shrimps go really well with cramy spicy sauce..yum yum.
February 10th, 2009 at 5:31 am
What a colorful looking dish! I am sure taste really good with Sticky rice.
February 10th, 2009 at 5:45 am
When I grow up,I want to be very very rich so that I can hire you as my full time chef!:P .
February 10th, 2009 at 7:29 am
Super- Thai. Beseeching the refrigerator gods work the whole time
February 10th, 2009 at 8:56 am
this is going into my repertoire (french word) and I might make a version of it in the next couple of days…..(because it looks easy)
February 10th, 2009 at 9:55 am
This is TOTALLY up our alley. Would you be offended if I made it with vegetable broth instead of chicken stock?
February 10th, 2009 at 10:03 am
This looks amazing!
February 10th, 2009 at 10:28 am
Thai red curry soup. I love it. There is nothing like a good coconut curry. Maybe if I say I only eat Thai food people will cook Thai food for me?
I’m making chicken stock this weekend. I now have some inspiration for what to do with it. I have the red curry paste, but the kitchen gods have not currently blessed me with coconut milk. I’ll have to go out and buy it.
February 10th, 2009 at 10:32 am
I hope the client is actually from Thailand and not just being difficult!
February 10th, 2009 at 1:54 pm
Nice recovery!
February 10th, 2009 at 2:17 pm
its \been awhile i dint drop by to ur blog, chef!!! still all the dish were remain……..ATTRACTIVE !!!!
February 10th, 2009 at 2:44 pm
So wish I could have that for lunch!
February 10th, 2009 at 3:29 pm
OMG, that is a rare bird indeed. I am glad you happened to have red curry paste on hand!
And coconut milk! And you know I have a definite weakness for crustaceans, so this is a win win win!
February 10th, 2009 at 3:33 pm
OMG Stephane, I love it so much. I’ll be making this tonight.
Cheers,
Elra
February 10th, 2009 at 4:30 pm
Gorgeous presentation, combination of color, and flavors! I can not wait to try this.
February 10th, 2009 at 5:15 pm
Seems a little impossible for someone to eat ONLY Thai food! So high maintenance.
February 10th, 2009 at 5:22 pm
That looks fantastic. Thanks for sharing. I’m going to give that a try.
February 10th, 2009 at 5:46 pm
OK MR. enough teasing! I’ve been really getting into thai food over the last year and always say i’m going to make thai soup! having to put up with these bitter winters now, i find myself hugging coconut milk cans in the grocery store for warmth!
February 10th, 2009 at 5:54 pm
This looks divine! And I’m glad you did not hang yourself
Nice job on julienning the vegetables!
I tested a recipe for coconut shrimp soup last night: yours definitely would win if there was a competition.
February 10th, 2009 at 9:06 pm
That looks so good! I don’t get the client though. Only Thai food? Even if it is wonderful food, how can anyone want only one type of food??!!
February 10th, 2009 at 10:56 pm
Sticky rice and curry sound really cool.
February 11th, 2009 at 12:55 am
I have snow peas and super sticky rice but no inner chef. Dang. I’m going to have to chat up YOUR inner chef to find out what to do with it.
With regards to your Thai soup, I suggest next time you add a couple of girolles and you replace the shrimps with snails. Y a pas de raison, là :-p whaddya mean my inner chef sucks??
February 11th, 2009 at 5:38 am
I live in a small town in Italy and can never find lemongrass (I buy my non perishables (curry paste, chili oil, fish sauce) and dried spices (Kaffir lime leaves, galanga) when I travel to London, etc)..can you suggest what I an use in its place?? HELLLLPPPPP!! (this is the scream of someone who is completely sick sick of italian food…)
February 11th, 2009 at 6:41 am
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February 11th, 2009 at 10:04 am
This looks absolutely delicious. Great colours and presentation!
February 11th, 2009 at 10:26 am
I want this!! I want you to make me this!! I am not some fancy Bossman client but I could pretend! This soup is excatly the kind of thing I can eat day in and day out! Gorgeous!
February 11th, 2009 at 12:57 pm
Stephane, I tagged you (hope you don’t mind). Would you please visit my cooking site. Thank you.
Elra
February 11th, 2009 at 3:42 pm
Thanks for your post! Always love your presentation. My favorite dish so far is the tuna and avocado tartar
February 11th, 2009 at 5:46 pm
I just discovered your site for the first time today. Very, very impressive. I like your attitude and your laid back style of writing; a pleasure to read. Besides we food bloggers of the male persuasion need to stick together! I think I’ll be coming back GREG
February 11th, 2009 at 6:28 pm
I can only imagine the flirtation between you and the big bossman sectretaries!
February 11th, 2009 at 6:35 pm
I cannot tell you how much I love a GOOD Thai curry. In fact, I was just thinking yesterday that I would look for a recipe and then … Kismet! Your kitchen gods must have led me to your post. What kind of coconut milk do you use? Sweetened or unsweetened? Brand?
February 11th, 2009 at 8:16 pm
i can smell/taste that
rich… and deeply flavored
not to mention pretty
February 11th, 2009 at 10:35 pm
ah-HA! i knew that couldn’t just be all coconut milk. cream, baby. love it… i wonder if that’s traditional? i know it’s gotta make it friggin G-O-O-D.
February 12th, 2009 at 2:23 am
Thank you all for your nice comments. Always very appreciated! A few answers to questions…
Fury.. yay!
Tavolini.. No i won’t be offended if you use vegetable stock.
Stacey.. just difficult, and spoiled!
Monica.. you can use lime zest in place of kaffir lime leaves and ginger in place of galangal.
Elra, thank you!
I will, a little busy these days. Soon!
Rita! hahahaha.. no way!
Nicole.. unsweetened coconut milk for this. I use a brand called Thai kitchen, i think? Will have to double check. Red and black cans.
Sippity Sup.. Thanks! and welcome!
We are never full.. haha.. you got the eye! I don’t know if it’s traditional but i can assure you it’s damn good!
February 12th, 2009 at 2:32 am
Oh come on! This looks amazing! All those wonderful Thai flavors together. Mmm.
February 12th, 2009 at 3:33 am
um, got that stuff…what about th lemon grass?? Is it possible o buy it dried or preserved somehow somewhere??
thx monica
February 12th, 2009 at 2:32 pm
Monica, if you can’t find fresh, dried lemongrass can be purchased in some Asian markets. Otherwise check online, you might be able to find lemongrass paste or dried in stores like amazon. Or leave it out altogether, and finish the soup with a squeeze of fresh lime juice. It will still be very good.
February 12th, 2009 at 5:50 pm
Yikes! That is quite specific and what a great way to work with what you have! Can I hire you? Or better, can I marry you? I haven’t been able to find fresh pandan leaves anywhere, but I’ve found frozen ones in the Chinese markets in Queens next to the banana leaves.
February 13th, 2009 at 7:57 am
je sens les effluves jusqu’ici! ah je mangerai bien ca ce soir tiens! cheers
February 13th, 2009 at 6:22 pm
This one is like gastro pub food…really tasty bursting with colour and flavour one that I would eat over and over. well done thanks for sharing
February 17th, 2009 at 10:37 am
Yummy. All my favorite things in one bowl. I want to eat this now.
February 22nd, 2009 at 9:36 pm
just lovely, so adorable!
March 2nd, 2009 at 10:04 am
good grief charlie brown! fabulous!