The nights are here sooner. A chill is in the air. There’s no doubt that we’re in that netherworld of winter in Oregon.
But it’s the perfect time for stew and soup. Why not enjoy a taste of the tropics in the midst of the rain and cold?
On a rainy and blustery night last week, I decided to take a dish from my childhood memories in Bangkok — Tom Yum Kung, a pungent soup with shrimp and mushrooms swimming in lime-flavored broth — and give it a Pacific Northwest flair by adding salmon to it.
The salmon gave a heartiness to the soup and lent it some of the fish’s robust flavor. The dish is easily accomplished in 30 minutes. And the only three ingredients that you need to get from an Asian grocery store are lemongrass, Thai lime (aka kaffir lime) leaves and chili paste with soya bean oil (my favorite brand is Pantai). You can find Thai fish sauce at most grocery stores these days.
Besides mushrooms, you can add all sorts of vegetables: zucchini, celery, onions, even tomatoes.
The first memory I have of eating this soup was when I was about 6 or 7. We were living in Bangkok. I was watching as mom was making it and I remember making some sort of remark about the eyeballs on the shrimp heads sticking out of the soup stock staring at me. Mom believes that the head of all sea creatures, shrimp, crab, fish, stingray, whatever, adds flavor to soup. I wasn’t about to argue with her. I just dutifully ate when it was served to me. And it was heavenly — eyeballs, heads and all.
But in this version, let’s forget about the heads and eyeballs.
Salmon and Shrimp Tom Yum Soup
Ingredients
- 8 cups water
- Juice from 2 limes
- 4 Thai lime (aka kaffir lime) leaves (purchase at Asian grocery stores)
- 4 tablespoons chili paste with soya bean oil (purchase at Asian grocery stores)
- 2 stalks of lemongrass, sliced into 2 inch chunks (purchase at Asian grocery stores)
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 1 zucchini or yellow squash, sliced into chunks
- 8-10 white mushrooms, brushed clean and quartered
- 1 lb. large salmon fillet, skinned and cut into large chunks
- 8 medium-large shrimp, peeled, de-veined and rinsed (shells set aside)
Directions
In a large saucepan, bring water to boil. Tie shrimp shells in cheesecloth and add to water and simmer for 20 minutes and then discard shells. Add lime juice, leaves, lemongrass, chili paste, and fish sauce, stirring to completely dissolve the chili paste, then lower heat to a simmer.
Add zucchini or squash and mushrooms and simmer for 10 minutes. Add fish and shrimp and simmer for another 3 minutes and serve hot.