Ingredients
- 400 ml tin coconut milk
- 300 ml chicken or vegetable stock
- 2 lemongrass stalks, bruised and cut into short lengths
- A thumb-sized piece of galangal or ginger, thinly sliced
- 4 kaffir lime leaves, torn
- 1–2 red chillies, sliced
- 150 g mushrooms (oyster, shiitake or chestnut), sliced
- 200 g raw king prawns, peeled
- 1–2 tbsp fish sauce or tamari
- Juice of 1–2 limes
- A handful of coriander leaves
Method
- Infuse: put the coconut milk, stock, lemongrass, galangal, lime leaves and chilli in a pan. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 10 minutes to infuse the flavours.
- Add the mushrooms: add the mushrooms and simmer for 3 minutes.
- Add the prawns: add the prawns and simmer for 2–3 minutes, until pink and just cooked.
- Season: take off the heat and add the fish sauce and lime juice to taste. It should be creamy, sour, salty and a little hot.
- Serve: ladle into bowls and scatter with coriander. (The lemongrass, galangal and lime leaves are for flavour and aren't eaten.)
Why it's good for you: Lemongrass, galangal, ginger, lime and chilli are all used in Thai traditional medicine, and together they make a warming, comforting soup that's often eaten during colds. Prawns provide lean protein, selenium and iodine.
Good to know: For a plant-based version, use tofu instead of prawns, vegetable stock and tamari instead of fish sauce.
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