Spicy Coconut Shrimp Soup

We're still on vacation. I promise that I didn't cook this pretty soup in our tiny condo kitchen. The abbreviated kitchen certainly presents some cooking challenges. I had to make biscuits in a toaster oven this morning! Point being, I wouldn't even try to make "from scratch" soup here. The reason that I am posting this soup today, instead of when we return home, is that we have found ourselves with a little unexpected vacation downtime. I've caught a nasty cold and my toddler has a fever of 102! We decided to lay low today, rent movies and snuggle on the pull-out sofa. With my baby sleeping more than usual, I had a little time for the blog. I made this last week before we left...just for me. My husband was working late in preparation for his week out of the office and the girls begged for grilled cheese. I finally had the ingredients to make this recipe. It has been stuck to my fridge for weeks! I cut the recipe in half and ate it for dinner...and then again for lunch the next day. I adore the coconut soup at our local Thai restaurant. However, I realize that it's laden with calories. I was excited to find this lighter version in an old issue of Cooking Light magazine. It's not quite as creamy and decadent as the soup from Sweet Mango, but all of the flavors are there and I can leave the guilt behind!

The ingredients for this soup are relatively simple, but I did have difficulty finding red curry paste at my local grocery. Here are the ingredients: chicken broth, mushrooms, red bell pepper, brown sugar, fish sauce (I didn't have fish sauce, so I used oyster sauce. Fish...oyster...they both come from the sea, right?), ginger (I used ginger paste), red curry paste, light coconut milk, 1 pound of medium shrimp, green onions, basil, and fresh lime juice.



Combine the chicken broth, sliced mushrooms, red pepper, brown sugar, fish sauce, ginger, and red curry paste. Bring the ingredients to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. For a spicier finish on this soup, add in an additional 1/4 teaspoon of red curry paste. I would add the extra curry paste. I didn't notice much heat with the recommended amount.



Stir in the coconut milk and cook another 2 minutes until hot. Add in the shrimp and cook for 3 minutes or until the shrimp are done.



Remove pan from heat and stir in the onions, basil, and juice. According to Cooking Light, "adding the green onions, basil, and lime juice just before serving brightens the overall taste of the soup."



Ahh. My weeknight indulgence for only 194 calories per serving. Or 388 calories if you eat two bowls full like I did.




Spicy Coconut Shrimp Soup
From Cooking Light

3 1/2 cups fat-free chicken broth
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1/4 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1/2 teaspoon grated peeled fresh ginger
1/4 teaspoon red curry paste
1 cup light coconut milk
1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
2 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh basil
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice


Combine first 7 ingredients in a large saucepan over medium-high heat; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes. Stir in coconut milk; cook 2 minutes or until hot. Add shrimp to pan; cook 3 minutes or until shrimp are done. Remove pan from heat; stir in onions, basil, and juice.



Yield: 4 servings (serving size: about 1 1/2 cups)

CALORIES 194 (25% from fat); FAT 5.3g (sat 3.3g,mono 0.4g,poly 0.9g); IRON 3.8mg; CHOLESTEROL 172mg; CALCIUM 85mg; CARBOHYDRATE 9.9g; SODIUM 878mg; PROTEIN 26.9g; FIBER 1.4g