Shrimp and rice soup (chao tom)

6 servings

Ingredients

Quantity Ingredient
2 Finely Chopped Shallots; (2 Tablespoons)
1 tablespoon Fish Sauce
½ teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper
1/4 Teaspoon White Pepper
½ pounds Medium Shrimp; Peeled, Deveined And Coarsely Chopped
4½ cup Water
2 cans Chicken Broth; (14 Ounce Cans) Reduced Sodium, Defatted
1 cup Long Grain Jasmine Rice;, Rinsed
3 larges Cloves Garlic
2 Stalks Lemongrass; Outer Leaves Discarded, Coarsely Chopped
1 teaspoon Vegetable Oil; Preferably Canola
2 tablespoons Coarsely Chopped Dry-Roasted Peanuts; Unsalted
1 cup Loosely Packed Cilantro Leaves
1 Bird Or Serrano Chiles; (1 Or 2) Very Finely Chopped

Directions

In a small bowl, combine shallots, fish sauce and pepper; add shrimp and toss to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside in the refrigerator.

Place water and broth in a large soup pot or Dutch oven, add rice and bring to a boil.

Meanwhile, using a mortar and pestle, food processor or blender, work 1 of the garlic cloves and the lemongrass together into a paste. Add to rice /broth mixture.

When broth reaches a boil, lower heat to medium and simmer, partially covered, for 15 minutes. Set aside.

Meanwhile, finely chop the remaining 2 cloves garlic. In a skillet or wok, heat oil over high heat. Add garlic and stir-fry until golden, about 10 seconds. Ad reserved shrimp pieces with marinade. Stir-fry until shrimp starts to change color, about 1 minute. Add to soup. Pour about ½ cup of the soup broth into the skillet or wok to deglaze the pan, then pour it back into soup. Continue simmering soup until shrimp is fully cooked, 1 to 2 minutes.

Ladle soup into bowls and sprinkle a few peanuts and cilantro leaves over each serving. Serve with side dishes of chiles, Vietnamese Dipping Sauce and the remaining peanuts and cilantro, so guests can adjust flavorings as they wish.

Makes about 8 cups

Nutritional info from Eating Well Mag.

225 calories per serving; 13 grams protein, 3 grams fat (½ gram saturated fat), 33 grams carbohydrate; 1,360 mg sodium; 61mg cholesterol; 1 gram fiber

NOTES : This quickly prepared soup has small pieces of shrimp floating in a lightly flavored broth, which is loaded with tender rice. A garnish of chopped roasted peanuts adds a pleasant change of texture and a nutty taste. The soup is traditionally served with a side dish of Vietnamese Dipping Sauce (Nuoc Cham) so guests can add extra flavoring as they wish.

Recipe by: Eating Well Mag. Jan/Feb 1997 Posted to EAT-LF Digest by Irene DiGiuseppe <irene@...> on Oct 31, 1998, converted by MM_Buster v2.0l.

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