Thai Lemongrass And Chile Soup (tom Yum)

Total Time: 16 mins Preparation Time: 10 mins Cook Time: 6 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 2 stalks lemongrass, peeled and cut into 4 inch pieces
• 3 fresh kaffir lime leaves (optional)
• 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon peeled minced fresh ginger
• 2 teaspoons roasted chili paste
• 1 1/2 cups chopped oyster mushrooms or 1 1/2 cups mushrooms
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce or 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 3/4 cup finely chopped tomato
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh cilantro
• 2 -3 small hot green chili peppers, seeded and halved (optional)
• rice noodles

Recipe

• 1 in medium saucepan, heat vegetable broth to a simmer with lemongrass and lime leaves if desired.
• 2 in small skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat.
• 3 add garlic and ginger, and cook, stirring often, about 30 seconds.
• 4 when broth has simmered for 5 minutes, remove lemongrass and lime leaves and discard.
• 5 add cooked garlic and ginger to broth.
• 6 return broth to a boil, and stir in chile paste and mushrooms.
• 7 cook until mushrooms have wilted, about 30 seconds, then stir in lime juice and fish sauce.
• 8 remove from heat, and ladle soup into small bowls along with your favorite rice noodles.
• 9 top each bowl with chopped tomatoes, cilantro and a pinch of hot green chiles if you want it really really spicy.
• 10 alternatively, tomatoes and chiles can be mixed together and placed in small serving bowl for people to help themselves (this way people can make it as spicy as they want).
• 11 for vegetarian/vegan omit the fish sauce and use the soy.