This soup is especially healthy as it does not contain coconut milk as many Thai curries in the South require. You can choose a variety of seasonal vegetables with or without the shrimp, and even a mixture of seafood works quite nicely.

Fresh green beans, white mushroom quartered, and even a bit of cabbage cut into 1" chunks makes a nice combination in place of the squashes and straw mushrooms.

Thai soups are always flavourful and exciting to the palate yet easy to make.

Ingredients

4 oz shrimp, peeled and deveined
3 cups fat free chicken stock (low sodium)
1 lemongrass outer leaves and top removed, slit and cut in half
2 pair fresh Kaffir Lime leaves/bai Magroot
1 cup kapocha squash cut into bite pieces
6 baby corn - each cut into thirds
1/2 cup straw mushrooms - cut in 1/2
2 small zucchini type squash

Paste

2 tablespoons coriander root - chopped
3 tablespoons shallots- chopped
3 tablespoons garlic - chopped
2 red chiles - chopped
1/2 oz young green peppercorns
3 tablespoons ground dried shrimps
1 tablespoon white peppercorn
1 cup (3 fl oz) water

Garnish: cilantro leaves or Thai Basil.
Serve with a lime wedge

Optional to add heat and flavour serve with Nam Phrik Pao condiment so each person can adjust flavour to their taste.

Preparation

Place dry and wet ingredients into a mortor and pound to a smooth paste adding the water as needed, or put all the ingredients for the paste into a blender and blend until smooth. Once it is smooth put the paste into a pan along with the chicken stock, lemon grass and kaffir lime leaves, and bring to the boil, simmer for 10 minutes.

Add the kabocha and babycorn and cook for 2 minute. Then add the mushrooms and zucchini and cook for another 2 minutes.

Add the lemon basil and fish sauce (nam pla) followed by the shrimp and cook for 2 minutes. Remove lemon grass and kaffir lime leaves.

Serve.

Serves 4 as part of a Thai meal, or 2 as lunch entree
Preparation and cooking time : 30 minute