Shrimp Broth with Lemongrass, Chili and Ginger

I have to admit right off that other than finding the recipe on Epicurious and cooking the rice, I had nothing to do with this dinner. My husband made the whole thing. (Did I mention he’s a good cook?)

We both agree that the soup is delicious, and makes a wonderful first course. We added Basmati rice and served it as our main course tonight. (Tomorrow night, we will use rice noodles).

A few modifications I suggest to the recipe as written below: (1) This recipe makes a lot of broth. Next time we will use half the liquid, and I believe the flavors will be even more intense. (2) We added about a half tsp of lime juice to each bowl at serving and it really made it better. Next time, I’ll just add a little more lime juice to the pot. (3) Finally, we felt it needed a little more salt, and for our spicy palates, could have used a little more chili pepper. But, all in all, a great recipe.

Shrimp Broth with Lemongrass, Chili and Ginger

3/4 pound uncooked large shrimp
6 14 1/2-ounce cans low-salt chicken broth
1 cup finely chopped carrot
1/3 cup thinly sliced fresh lemongrass
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh ginger
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil
1 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint
1 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro
1 small serrano chili, stemmed, thinly sliced into rounds
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
6 thin lime slices

1. Peel and devein shrimp; reserve shells. Halve shrimp lengthwise. Transfer shrimp to small bowl. Cover and chill.
2. Combine reserved shrimp shells, broth and next 4 ingredients in large pot. Bring to boil. Reduce heat; simmer uncovered 20 minutes to blend flavors, stirring and skimming surface occasionally. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; chill.)
3. Strain broth into large bowl, pressing on solids with back of spoon to release as much liquid as possible; discard solids. Return broth to pot. Bring to simmer. Remove from heat. Add shrimp, herbs, chili and lime juice. Cover and let stand until shrimp are opaque, stirring once, about 2 minutes.
4. Ladle into bowls. Garnish with lime. Add a little more lime juice if you want (we did)

Serves 6
Category: Food