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Hot and Sour Prawn Soup
Serves 4 - 6 Prep 15 min Cook 30 min Total 45 min Type Meal Origin Thai

Hot and Sour Prawn Soup

Thailand's hot-and-sour prawn soup: lemongrass, galangal, kaffir lime, lime juice, fish sauce and chilli broth with whole prawns.

Serves 4 Prep 15 minutes Cook 30 minutes Units Rate

Overview

This classic Thai hot and sour soup features succulent prawns in a fragrant broth infused with lemongrass, galangal, and lime leaves. The perfect balance of spicy heat from chillies and tangy sourness from lime creates a refreshing yet warming dish. Quick to prepare and full of bold flavors.

Ingredients

Protein

  • 350 grams raw medium prawns (whole)

Fat

  • 1 tablespoon oil

Aromatics

  • 3 lemongrass stems (white part only)
  • 3 thin slices fresh galangal
  • 3 - 5 fresh red chillies (small)
  • 5 lime leaves (finely shredded)

Vegetables

  • 2 spring onions (sliced)
  • 70 grams button mushrooms (quartered)

Seasonings

  • 2 tablespoons fish sauce
  • 3 tablespoons lime juice
  • 1 - 2 tablespoons chilli paste

Garnish

  • coriander leaves (to garnish)

Method

Stage 1 - Prepare stock

  1. Peel and de-vein the prawns, leaving the tails intact and reserving the heads and shells.
  2. Heat the oil in a large stockpot and add the prawn heads and shells. Cook for 5 minutes, or until the shells turn bright orange.
  3. Bruise 1 stem of the lemongrass with the back of a knife.
  4. Add to the pan with the galangal and 2 litres of water.
  5. Bring to the boil, then immediately reduce the heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes.
  6. Strain back into the same pan through a chinois or fine-meshed conical sieve, discarding the shells and heads.

Stage 2 - Cook soup

  1. Finely slice the chillies and remaining lemongrass.
  2. Add the lemon grass to a mortar and pestle, and pound until it has reached the consistency of a paste.
  3. Add the lemongrass paste and chillies to the stock with the lime leaves, fish sauce, spring onion and mushrooms.
  4. Cook gently for 2 minutes.
  5. Add the prawns and cook for 3 minutes, or until the prawns are tender.

Stage 3 - Finish and serve

  1. Add the lime juice and chilli paste.
  2. Garnish with the coriander leaves and serve immediately.

Notes

  • Sourness: Adjust lime juice to taste for desired tanginess.
  • Heat: Start with fewer chillies and chilli paste; add more for extra spice.
  • Prawns: Use fresh prawns for best flavor; cook just until pink to avoid toughness.

Serving

Serve hot, garnished with fresh coriander leaves.

Storage

  • Best served immediately; can be refrigerated for 1 day. Reheat gently without boiling.

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