Tom Yum Soup

This recipe comes courtesy of my friend Rahim. I can't wait to try it out, and may just run out to the store for a few items right now!

1 cup chicken broth
2 cups water
1/2 cup lime juice
Simmer those first for 15 minutes:

- Either you add your paste (3 cups = 3 tbsp of paste) or you make 'it from scratch, your choice. I won't judge if you use paste.
- 1 1/2 tbsp of red curry paste (this is what makes it spicy, BE CAREFUL!). Can also use 1-2 small red (or substitute green) chilies (depending on desired spiciness), finely sliced.
- Add chicken (bite size) or prawns (raw, shelled) or whatever
- 3 tbsp of fish sauce (I like the Safeway kind, less umm fishy)
- After the chicken is cooked, add shiitake mushroom
- Let mushroom cook a bit, then add green onion
- Add cilantro, and lime wedge for garnish
Rahim makes spicy jasmine rice to go with it, but says you can just eat it with white rice. :)

I noted that this recipe uses no coconut milk or lemongrass, and found out that the soup is often made without coconut milk (by simply replacing the coconut milk with more stock). This keeps it nice and simple, but a quick search on the Internet might inspire you to use those ingredients as well (I have some coconut milk in my pantry, so I'll be trying that). Other nice additions would be sliced red bell pepper, garlic, a handful of cherry tomatoes, and noodles.