Thai Fusion Tofu and Shrimp Coconut Soup

Taking care of sick kids has one danger... you get sick too.  Well, I did.  I have been craving soups to get my taste-buds back to normal.  Since I was not feeling well, chopping a lot of vegetables and ingredients was not high on my list of things to cook.  I wanted a quick 'throw it into the pot' soup and that's kind of what this soup is (with the exception of dicing the tofu).   This soup has a lot of flavor and that's just what I needed since my taste-buds were muted and everything tasted bland.  You can adjust this soup to your taste of course.  I added peas to my soup for some green since I made this at the last minute and did not have any green onions.  I recommend green onions for more of an Asian flavor.

Ingredients:
6 cups chicken stock
2 cups of frozen (thawed cleaned shrimp-tails on is okay)
1 cup of diced firm tofu
1 bunch scallions chopped and divided (green and white)
1/2 a can up to one can coconut milk
1-2 Tbs of  Sambal Oelek (garlic chili paste)
1-2 Tbs soy sauce (or to taste)
2 Tbs Fish sauce (or to taste)
1 tsp sesame oil (optional)
Juice of one lime (more to serve at the table as garnish)
1 bruised lemongrass stalk
1 tsp brown sugar
2-4 cloves of garlic grated (about 1 Tbs worth)
2 inches of ginger grated

Optional garnishes: lime wedges and thai basil leaves.


Directions:
Place all ingredients in soup pot with the exception of the shrimp, coconut milk and green parts of the scallions.  Bring to a boil  for 4-5 minutes.  Then add shrimp and cook for 3-5 until shrimp is cooked cooked.  Lower the heat and add the coconut milk then taste for flavor. Adjust as needed for salt, spice, sweetness and sourness. Ladle bowls of soup and garnish with sliced green scallion tops.  Enjoy.

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