Coconut Shrimp Soup
It has been a little crazy these past few days. Yesterday, I was at my church playing Bunkopalooza, which was a ton of fun. However, I got home late and I was starving. I didn’t really want to take the time to cook because: first, I was starving and second, Hubby had worked late and was on his way home. So, I ran out to the grocery store.
I have to be honest and tell you that I did not go to the grocery store to buy missing ingredients for this soup. I didn’t make this soup yesterday. I made it on Monday. I am taking this time to confess that I ran out to the grocery store and bought……well, I got…..I GOT A FROZEN BAG OF BERTOLLI PASTA DINNER AND GARLIC TEXAS TOAST…….okay, I feel better now. Yes, it is true! I bought something pre-made and frozen and it wasn’t pastry dough. Dude! What can I say? I was tired and hungry. Any food blogger out there that says they have never bought a frozen bag of something or other for dinner is probably a fibber.
Okay, now that I got that off my chest, let us move forward to the delicious dish pictured above. On Sunday after church I came across a Martha Stewart Everyday Food cookbook. I am not a huge fan of Martha Stewart. I like her just fine, but I just don’t really follow her or purchase her products. I flipped through the book and there were all kinds of interesting recipes, including the one above. As soon as I saw it, I knew I had to make it because, as I have said before, Hubby loves everything coconut. One thing I will say about the recipe is that you cannot skip on the lime. The lime makes an incredible difference in the taste. So, don’t forget the lime!
Shall we?
First grate some ginger. I used a large chunk that gave me 1 heaping Tbs. Then press 2 cloves of garlic.
Peel 3 carrots…..like I really need to tell you. 😀 If you have a julienne cutter use it, if not cut your carrot into thin strips.
Heat a large sauce pan with 1 Tbs of veggie oil, add garlic, ginger and red pepper. I used 1/2 tsp of red pepper and it was quite spicy. Cut it down to 1/4 tsp if you like. Cook and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. The fragrance may hit you, my eyes watered just a bit. Then add your carrot.
Add 1 16 oz can of coconut milk….Mmmmmm….
Then 3 cups of water. Personally I would have cut the water a bit maybe 2 cups instead, just to have some more creaminess.
In a small bowl combine 1 Tbs of corn starch with 1 Tbs of water.
Mix it until smooth.
Add to the soup
Bring the soup to a boil.
It looks like a creamy jacuzzi. Kind of like a milk bath. I wonder if you can have a milk bath in a jacuzzi. Hmmmm……..
Anyway, when it starts to boil, break pasta in half and add to the soup. Return to a boil, when it starts to boil turn it down and let it simmer for 3 to 4 minutes, until the pasta is al dente.
Now when the pasta is pretty much done, toss in the shrimp. Stir into the soup until opaque, remove soup from heat, stir in lime juice, (DO NOT forget the lime juice) and season with salt.
Ladle into bowls and garnish with cilantro. The recipe called for scallions but I though cilantro would be even better. I was right.
I loved this soup. Yes it was a little on the spicy side and I began to sweat and snot a bit, but is was still soooo yummy. I know that may have been a little TMI considering this is a food blog, but you know how it is when you eat something spicy.
If you like it hot do the 1/2 tsp, if not do the 1/4 tsp. If you are a total sissy pants when it comes to spicy food, I would recommend you stay clear of this recipe. 😀
Coconut Shrimp Soup (Serves 4) Everyday Food
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 grated fresh ginger
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
1 pound (6 to 8 medium) carrots, peeled, halved lengthwise, and thinly sliced
1 can (13.5 ounces) coconut milk
1 tablespoon cornstarch
4 ounces angel-hair pasta
1 1/2 pounds large shrimp, peeled, deveined, and tails removed
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
Coarse salt
cilantro for garnish
Directions
Heat oil in a large (3-quart) saucepan over medium-low heat. Add ginger, garlic, and pepper flakes; cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add carrots, coconut milk, and 2 cups water. In a small bowl, mix cornstarch and 2 tablespoons water until smooth; add to pot. Bring to a boil.
Break pasta in half; add to pot. Return to a boil, reduce heat to medium, and simmer until pasta is al dente and carrots are just tender, 3 to 4 minutes.
Add shrimp; stir until opaque, about 1 minute. Remove pot from heat, and stir in lime juice; season with salt. Ladle into serving bowls, and garnish with cilantro.
By the way, could you vote for me?
Turned out pretty good! I loved the concert of flavors — the freshness of the cilantro and lime juice, the sweetness of the carrot and coconut, and the background of spicy and tangy from the red pepper and ginger.
If I were to make it again though I’d use less carrots, more coconut milk (perhaps sweetened), and maybe some fish sauce. I would also love to try it with basil.
This is a common soup in S.E. Asia. In Thailand there is a very similar soup, it’s called Tom Yum Kung. If you like this soup try exploring Thai and Vietnamese food. They’re both healthy diets heavy on veg.
Try to replace the salt with fish sauce (you can get it in most supermarkets). It adds another dimension of asian flavor to it…
Hi. I just made this soup, but I live like 20 mins from the store and I didn’t have any coconut milk. I used sweetened condensed milk instead, and i loved it. My parents kinda went “Oooh” when they tried it so I’m not sure if they liked it or not. Anyway, thanks!
I made this soup and it didn’t come out the way that I thought it would. Maybe I didn’t let it sit too long, but I followed the recipe exactly as it said and it came out somewhat bland. Maybe I didn’t use the right amount of coconut milk because the list said 13.5 oz and then the pictures said 16. I was confused about the carrots too. I was really excited about this and it didn’t come out right. I tweaked the recipe a little and I’m hoping to try it again soon. Were you supposed to let it sit for a while after it boiled to let the flavors mix together more? It wasn’t spicy, I didn’t taste coconut, ginger, garlic or the spice from the red-pepper. Where did I go wrong?? Hopefully with guidance I can try it again soon and taste the amazingness that is in my mind.
That soup looooooks great! Yummy
Made this tonight and it was incredibly delicious and easy (and that’s coming from a non-cook). Great recipe!
I’ve made this soup a couple times now and its absurdly delicious! the mix of the shrimpy flavor and the sweetness of the carrots and the tart lime juice and the cilantro…well I good go on forever. I dream about this soup and make it as often as possible. Even when you don’t make it quite right its great. For example the first time I made it I used way too much angel hair so it was a little more pasta dish-y than soupy but still great. Also, I’m lazy and just thinly slice the carrots rather than julienning them.
Regardless, Thanx for the recipe!
I just bought 2 huge marked down bags of limes. Now I know what I can do with some before I toss the rest (as is) in the freezer. I also just happened to buy a knob of ginger.
I am thinking about making this soup. It sounds yummy! But I am wondering if I could add garam masala or curry powder and leave out the cilantro? Should I also leave out the lime juice? Or would those tweaks change the whole character of the soup?
You would definaly end up with a different kind of soup I think because it will be Indian instead of Asian. But garam masala and curry powder go great with coconut so I think you should give it a try. If you are worried about the lime juice just test it out by ladeling a small amount into a bowl and squeezing a bit of lime juice into it, see if you like it. If you do serve with lime wedges. I think you should go for it, it sounds like a great idea. Let me know how it goes.
I made this scrumptious soup today as we were stuck at home in the middle of a blizzard. I added a little Thai fish sauce and half chicken stock half water, as well as a large handful of fresh chopped cilantro. Also, I didn’t have fresh raw shrimp, so I used the cooked frozen version. Absolutely delicious!!!
So is it 3 carrots? or 6-8 medium carrots?
I only used 3 because I didn’t want a lot of carrot. Use your judgement depending on how much carrot you want.
Great photos on your site! The flavors in the recipe looks wonderful.
I made this tonight, both I and Boyfriend loved it. Thanks! I did have trouble getting it hot enough for my liking at first though. I guess that’ll teach me (not) to use ginger powder instead of fresh.
Yeah fresh ginger will make all the difference in something like this. I am glad you enjoyed it!
Hi. I’m hoping to make this for some friends however one of them is a vegetarian. As the shrimp will be added last I thought I could separate at the end for the vegetarian. Can you, or anyone else, suggest a vegetarian substitute for the shrimp?
What a lovely looking dish! I love your photos, too! Coconut soups in any form are instantly craveable for me. Yum!
This is the best recipe ever, not only because it looks delicious, but the pictures aid SO much in making it a cinch to make. Thank you!
Oh my mouth is watering! I don’t profess to be an amazing cook let alone a cook at all, but this recipe would make me want to try to be.. or try to give to my husband because he can cook!
M,
First of all, it’s ok to buy some frozen meals once in a while, we don’t have to cook 7 nts a week. I cook 5, and we go out usually Friday and Saturday nts. I sometimes eat a Trader Joe’s frozen Alsatian Tart, which is excellent!
Re: Martha. Her recipes really are tried and true.
I am disappointed in so many celebrity chef recipes lately, but hers are always reliable, especially her baking recipes.
She is very dependable, whether you are a fan or not!
The soup looks great!
PS what movie did you see tonight?
I saw your last post and your disappointment with Bobby Flay’s toasted couscous, but you tossed in a few thing and it looks great. I really like the cookbook I picked up from Martha. The recipes are very simple and tasty. I will probably be trying several more.
We went to see Terminator. Great date move…lol.
That soup looks absolutely delicious!!
haaa! for one moment i thought it was laksa- this local, actually i dont know if its local dish i love to eat here! hehe
This looks great! I probably would have used cilantro instead of scallions here too – the flavors just seem to match better.
I’ve never tried coconut milk in food…one day I’ll be adventurous and try.
Also, I voted your blog ‘MOST LEARNED FROM’.