Quick and easy, this vibrant Cambodian-style coconut shrimp soup with coconut milk, green beans, and tomatoes is perfect for a weeknight dinner!
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Early last year I was fortunate enough to travel to Cambodia to visit a friend who lives there. I had a long layover so plenty of time to explore Phnom Penh and the surrounding area – and plenty to eat!
It was all so colourful, chaotic, fascinating, loud and chaotic! Luckily I was able to get a cooking lesson from a chef in Phnom Penh who helped me learn about all the ingredients I saw at the market and taught me some of the basics of Cambodian cooking.
I adapted this recipe for Coconut Shrimp Stew a little since here in the States it was proving difficult to source all the ingredients I learned to cook with in Phnom Penh. However, I left two traditional ingredients in the recipe: lemongrass and fresh turmeric.
Both ingredients can often be found in the vegetable department of a well-stocked health food store or an Asian market. Lemongrass looks like a long, thick sprout and turmeric looks like a smaller, more orange version of ginger. If you can’t find them, substitute the zest of one lime and one lemon for the lemongrass, plus additional lime juice to taste, and substitute ground turmeric for the fresh turmeric.
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This stew makes a quick weeknight dinner, especially if you use shrimp that have already been peeled and deveined. It’s best to buy frozen shrimp labeled IQF or Individually Quick Frozen. (The “fresh” shrimp in the fish box were usually previously frozen, thawed, and have now been in the box indefinitely.) Frozen shrimp can be quickly thawed in a bowl of cold water.
In my time in Cambodia, I’ve found that Cambodian cuisine is in many ways similar to Thai cuisine, but more subtle and not quite as hot-spicy. This stew is a perfect example of food from this region.
So take a trip! See the world! Or at least try it in this delicious shrimp stew.
Cambodian Coconut Shrimp Soup
ingredients
For the lemongrass paste
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3 stems lemongrass (or the zest of 1 lime and 1 lemon, plus additional lime juice to taste)
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1 (3-inch) stick of fresh turmeric (or 1 tablespoon ground turmeric)
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1 (3 inch) piece fresh ginger
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1 shallot
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4 cloves garlic
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2 Makrut lime leavesfinely chopped (optional)
For the soup:
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1 can (14–ounce) Full fat coconut milkDon’t shake
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2 1/2 cups spicy share (fish, chicken or vegetables)
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1 tablespoon fish saucelike Red Boat, and more if needed
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1 tablespoon Brown sugar
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3 Middle zucchinicut into 1 inch pieces
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8th ounces French green beans (Haricots verts), trimmed and bisected
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1 1/2 cups (9 ounces cherry tomatoeshalved
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Salttaste
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2 lb shrimppeeled and deveined
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1 large handful of Thai basil leaves
Serve:
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Cooked rice
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lime wedges
method
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Make the lemongrass paste:
Peel and discard the top, outer layer of tough, fibrous leaves from the lemongrass, leaving the tender, lighter-colored inner layers. Thinly slice this tender part. Also peel and slice the turmeric, ginger, shallot and garlic cloves.
Combine lemongrass, turmeric, ginger, shallot, garlic and lime leaves in a blender or food processor and process until ingredients are finely chopped. Scrape the sides of the blender as needed. Set the paste aside.
This paste can be made ahead of time and kept refrigerated for up to a week.
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Separate the coconut cream from the milk:
Don’t shake the can of coconut milk. Open the top and you should see a thick layer of coconut cream on it. Scoop them out of the can and put them in a soup pot. Reserve the watery milk on the floor.
If you don’t see a clear layer of cream at the top, just add all of the coconut milk at once.
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Cook coconut cream and lemongrass paste:
Bring the coconut cream to a simmer over medium heat. Add the lemongrass paste and cook, stirring, 1 to 2 minutes or until the mixture is thick and fragrant.
Add the remaining canned coconut milk, broth, fish sauce, and brown sugar. Bring to a boil.
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Cook the vegetables and shrimp:
Add the zucchini and green beans to the soup. Simmer for about 8 minutes or until the vegetables are just tender.
Add the shrimp and tomatoes and cook 3 to 4 minutes, or until pink and opaque. Stir in the basil leaves. Taste the soup, adding additional salt, fish sauce, or brown sugar to taste.
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Surcharge:
Pour into bowls and serve with rice and lime wedges. Leftovers will keep refrigerated for about 5 days.
| nutritional information (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 486 | calories |
| 19g | Fat |
| 40g | carbohydrates |
| 43g | protein |
