Hot And Sour Prawn Soup -

Hot And Sour Prawn Soup

Ingredients

1 teaspoon chopped fresh root ginger 1 tablespoon chopped lemon grass
2-3 small fresh red chillies, seeded and chopped
685 ml (24 fl oz/3 cups) chicken stock
2-3 tablespoons lime juice or vinegar
3 tablespoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon dried shrimps, soaked and rinsed
1 cake tofu, cut into small cubes
25 g (1 oz) bean thread vermicelli, soaked and cut into short lengths
2 tablespoons soaked black fungus, coarsely chopped
¼ cucumber, thinly shredded
115-175 g (4-6 oz) cooked peeled prawns
salt and freshly ground white pepper coriander sprigs, to garnish

Details

Serves: 5

Method

Using a pestle and mortar, pound the ginger, lemon grass and chillies to a fine paste. Bring the stock to a rolling boil in a pan, add the lemon grass mixture with the lime juice or vinegar, fish sauce and soaked shrimps. Bring back to the boil, then add tofu, vermicelli and black fungus. Simmer mixture for about 2 minutes.

Add cucumber and prawns, bring back to boil once more, then season with salt and plenty of pepper. Serve the soup hot (see Note), garnished with coriander sprigs.

Note:- This soup must be served piping hot - warm both serving tureen and soup bowls.

Related food category:

• Starter