Hot and Sour Thai Shrimp Soup with Noodles

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Course Main Course, Soup
Cuisine Thai
Keywords Gluten Free, Spicy
Difficulty Moderate
Servings 4 people
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 25 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 45 minutes
This is one of my absolute favorite soups. It's savory and aromatic and makes for a great meal to warm you up on chilly day. Although it takes quite a bit of time to make, it is worth every minute. One could be happy eating the broth alone, but the spinach, herbs, and noodles give it a heartier texture that leaves one feeling full and satisfied. It makes great leftovers as well, though make sure the spinach is sliced fresh the next day. DON'T FORGET to put a bowl under the sieve when you strain out the shrimp shells! My mother has done that before and poured all that lovely broth she worked so hard on right down the drain.
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 765kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 1/4 lbs medium shrimp in shells peeled (shells reserved) and deveined
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp sesame oil
  • 3 stalks lemongrass ends trimmed and tough outer leaves removed
  • 3 quarts chicken stock or low-sodium chicken broth (96 oz)
  • 1 1 1/2 inch piece fresh galangal or ginger peeled and thinly sliced
  • 9 cloves garlic smashed
  • 1 cup shallots (about 4 large)
  • 3-4 green Thai chiles or 2 serrano peppers sliced
  • 1/3 cup Asian fish sauce
  • 1 lb half-inch wide flat rice noodles
  • 1/2 lb spinach coarse stems removed
  • 1/3 cup fresh cilantro coarsely chopped
  • 1/3 cup fresh basil (preferably Thai basil) coarsely chopped
  • 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
  • Sriracha hot chile sauce to taste

Instructions

  • Peel and devein the shrimp, reserving the shells. Toss the shrimp with 1/2 tsp of salt and the sesame oil in a bowl. Refrigerate, covered, until ready to use. Slice the lemongrass stalks into 2 inch piece and lightly smash with the blade of a knife: this help to release the flavor more when they go in the soup.
  • Combine the stock, lemongrass, galangal or ginger, and garlic in a 4-quart heavy bottomed saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer gently, uncovered, for 35 minutes.
  • Add the reserved shrimp shells to the broth and simmer, uncovered, for 15 to 20 minutes, skimming off the froth as necessary. Place a large bowl beneath a fine-mesh sieve in the sink, and pour the broth through the strainer into the bowl. Discard the solids.
  • Return the broth to the pan, add the shallots and chiles, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer gently, uncovered, for 15 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, cook the noodles in a large pot of boiling unsalted water until tender, about 6 to 8 minutes. While the noodles cook, roughly stack the spinach leaves and slice crosswise into 1/2 inch wide strips. Drain well the noodles and divide them among four large bowls. Top with a handful of the spinach.
  • Add the fish sauce and remaining 1 1/2 tsp salt to the soup and simmer for 5 more minutes. Add the shrimp, cilantro, basil, and lemon juice to the soup and let stand for about 5 minutes to just cook the shrimp. Turn off the heat. The shrimp with continue to cook in the hot broth as you serve the soup.
  • Ladle the soup into the prepared bowls over the noodles. Serve with Sriracha hot chile sauced if desired for an extra kick.

Nutrition

Calories: 765kcal | Carbohydrates: 123g | Protein: 52g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 357mg | Sodium: 4256mg | Potassium: 1467mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 5539IU | Vitamin C: 47mg | Calcium: 364mg | Iron: 9mg

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About the author

Hi! Welcome to The Dynamic Dish! I'm Erin - a geophysicist who is passionate about food and culinary science. Here you will find a collection of my favorite recipes, both collected and original, as well as educational posts and reviews on ingredients and cooking techniques. Please check out the welcome post for more information about the site!