Kokosowa zupa Tom yum soup

Tom yum soup

Ingredients

For the tom yum paste

• 1 garlic clove
• 2 lemongrass stalks
• 4 lime leaves
• 2½cm/1in piece fresh root ginger
• 1 small bunch fresh coriander, stems only (reserve leaves for garnish)
• 2 small bird's eye chillies
• 2 shallots
• 2½cm/1in piece palm sugar
• 50ml/2fl oz vegetable oil, plus extra for frying
• pinch salt

For the soup

• 400ml/14fl oz coconut milk
• 200ml/7fl oz vegetable stock
• 1 handful beansprouts
• 1 red pepper, finely sliced
• 4 spring onions, finely sliced
• 150g/5½oz aubergine slices, chargrilled
• 200g/7oz peas
• 12 tiger prawns, left whole

To serve

• 1 lime, juice only
• 1-2 handfuls fresh coriander leaves

Preparation method

1. For the tom yum paste, place all of the paste ingredients into a food processor and blend until smooth.
2. Heat a dash of vegetable oil in a pan and gently fry the paste for 4-5 minutes, strring frequently, or until it starts to become aromatic.
3. For the soup, add the milk and stock to the pan with the paste and stir well. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes.
4. Place the beansprouts, pepper and onion into the bottom of four serving bowls.
5. Stir the aubergine and peas into the soup to warm through, then add the prawns and simmer until pink and cooked through. Ladle the soup into four serving bowls (there should be three prawns per serving). Serve with a squeeze of lime and garnish with the reserved coriander leaves.