How to make a Thai coconut soup?!
Thank you.
Answers: Without dairy/fish sauce.
Thank you.
Well, there are many many variations on thai coconut soup recipes... but this is what I do for what we call "That Darn Soup" (because it's hard to stop eating it):
Ingredients list:
Coconut milk
Curry (see notes below)
Butternut squash or sweet potatoes
Vegetables, eg.: Button mushrooms, onions, zucchini, green beans, it's up to your preferences.
cubed tofu
diced or minced ginger
soy sauce
sugar
Can of pineapple chunks (with juice)
Other items to consider adding: lemongrass and basil.
Process:
First, I boil some pieces of butternut squash, or sweet potatoes, and just drain and set them aside when they are done. (careful not to overcook)
Then I saute whatever vegetables I'd like in the soup, I often use onions, mushrooms, tofu, possibly some zucchini, and couple of cloves of garlic. At the very end, add some diced ginger (I just used the canned variety).
To make it more authentic, use something other than olive or canola oil, like sesame or peanut oil, and with a little bit of chile oil. If you'd like some green veggies in there, thaw and drain some good frozen grean beans (I used the Green Giant Select variety. Freshlike's green beans are too squeaky and anemic.)
Combine everything into one pot.
Last and most important step, add the liquids. I'll add a can or two of cononut milk, the lite "cooking" variety (although as long as you don't buy coconut cream, any coconut milk will work). For the curry, you can use a variety of curries- you'll want to experiment with it. I LOVE the Maesri brand of curries, and always use their red curry for this soup.
Top one on this page:
http://www.maesribrand.com/Can.htm
Just start with half of a can, because more is pretty spicy.
There are also jars of curry at most grocery stores, but add them in slowly as they are frequently high in spice but low in flavor. (By the time you get the flavor you want, your tongue has disintegrated in a fiery blast.)
Then I'll add a can of pineapple, including the juice, and in some soy sauce and sugar to taste. These last two are pretty important... but if you like your soups fairly savory you can leave out the sugar.
To stretch the recipe a bit, and because I don't like it to be too heavy, I usually add some soy milk at the end, but that is entirely up to you.
Holds up very well, and is freakin' yummy!
It isn't much of a Thai coconut soap without that. But, try using plenty of coconut milk instead.
Simple version:
1. Get a can of Thai curry sauce (4oz tin will make about 4-6 servings). http://www.templeofthai.com/food/curry_p...
Add spoonful of minced garlic, minced ginger (galangal if you can find it). Heat all in a cast iron pan that can accommodate the soup with a tablespoon of olive oil. 3-4 minutes.
2. Get 2 veggie bouillon cubes. Open 2 cans of coconut milk. Throw them all in. Simmer.
3. The stuff in the soup is up to you--I like bamboo shoots (canned), thai eggplant (quartered). Mushrooms, tofu, are all good choices. Regardless of what you put in, make sure you put in a small minced onion or 4 minced shallots.
4. Add 5-6 Thai peppers (chopped) or habanero or whatever you think you can handle. Garnish with chopped cilantro.
Tip:
It's extremely difficult to get rich flavor without fish sauce. The best technique I've found with curry is a heat, cool, heat cool cycle. That means: do the above steps and simmer for about 30 minutes. Turn it off. Let it sit on the stove for a couple of hours. Heat it up to boiling, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Let it cool down and sit on the stove till you need to eat it (hopefully an hour or so later).
Time consuming (though not a lot of work)... This process will increase flavenoids and make the curry taste richer. If you don't have time, do all the steps and you'll have soup in 30 minutes.
Take a can opener and open a can of Amy's Thai Coconut soup and pour it into a pan and heat. :)