Guest guest Posted September 3, 2005 Report Share Posted September 3, 2005 Oh sweet Susie, you chile goddess you. I bow humbly... Best....soup.....ever! This soup is not the typical Americanized " Chinese " hot and sour soup that has a thick broth (and I knew that going into it). This is 500 kazillion times better. My goodness - first off the aroma was divine. Amazing! The flavor was exotic. I mean I felt like I created a dish that would have come straight from Asia (is this a " Thai " soup?). I finally figured out what was making a Thai dish that I've had at a restaurant in town so good - kaffir lime leaves. Finally! Ok, now for my boring customizations... I used nearly 4 cloves of garlic I used an amount of white onion that was the size of a small shallot (because I didn't have or get a shallot) I used 1 big jalp " Mixed " whole peppercorns Peanut oil 5 galanga slices About 2 cups of white/fresh mushrooms 1 big tomato 15 Thai basil leaves Only a splash of lime juice The rest of the ingredients were the same as the recipe. I tried the mortar and pestle bits for the paste but quickly plopped everything in the little canister for my hand blender. Vroom vroom, buzz buzz, el done-o. Fantastic flavor and nice kick in the boom boom. This is a keeper. I give this 5 out of 5 spatulas. Thanks. Shawn On 8/28/05, artichoke72x wrote: > > this is a really good one.....the seasoning paste is > amazing. i'm sure you could make it in a blender or > food processor if you don't have a mortar and pestle. > don't forget to take out the lemongrass before > serving. > > Hot and Sour Soup > > 2 cloves garlic, sliced > 1 shallot, sliced > 1 teaspoon ground chili paste > 1 fresh red chili, any kind (optional) > 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro > 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns > 2 tablespoons vegetable oil > 1/3 pound tofu, cut into cubes > 5 cups vegetable stock > 1 stalk lemongrass, cut into 1-inch pieces and bruised > with the back of a knife > 3 thin slices galanga > 3 kaffir lime leaves, cut into thirds > 3 tablespoons soy sauce > 1 tablespoon brown sugar > 1/2 cup canned straw mushrooms or sliced white > mushrooms > 2 red ripe tomatoes, cut into thin wedges > 1/3 cup fresh lime juice > 10 fresh Thai basil leaves > 5 fresh cilantro springs, chopped > > Place the garlic, shallot, chili paste, chili, > cilantro, and peppercorns into a mortar and pound into > a paste. > > Heat the oil in a soup pot over moderate heat. Add the > spice mixture to the pot an stir until fragrant, about > 2 seconds. Add the vegetable stock and let simmer 5 > minutes. Add the lemongrass, galanga, lime leaves, > soy sauce, brown sugar, mushrooms, and tomatoes and > bring to a boil. Add the tofu and cook for about 2 > more minutes. Remove from heat and add the lime > juice, basil, and cilantro. Serve piping hot. > > Adapted from a recipe found in: The Best of > Vietnamese and Thai Cooking by Mai Pham (Prima > Publishing, 1995). > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 3, 2005 Report Share Posted September 3, 2005 Ok, this sounds great but a couple of questions... where would one find the lime leaves and what the heck is Galanga? I've never seen or heard of these. Thanks! I live out here in the sticks . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 3, 2005 Report Share Posted September 3, 2005 On 9/3/05, Whittington5 wrote: > > Ok, this sounds great but a couple of questions... > where would one find the lime leaves and what the heck is Galanga? Hi. I got the kaffir lime leaves, galanga, Thai basil leaves and lemon grass stalks at an Asian store. Also I forgot to mention that I added two fresh water chestnuts to the dish. The Asian store I go to has tons of Asian products, spices, herbs, etc. Galanga looks and smells similar to ginger root (I had no idear what the heck that sucker was at first too). I peeled the outside (with a carrot/potato peeler) and sliced a few slices up. See below for a picture. http://www.vegiworks.com/galanga.jpg I've never seen or heard of these. Thanks! > I live out here in the sticks . I've never seen these products in a regular grocery store here (fresh anyway). I think Susie mentioned that you can get them dried and jarred like basil or oregano. Maybe an online store. The aroma of these herbs alone are just amazing. Good stuff. Hope you get to try some. Shawn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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