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Thai Curry Corn and Potato Soup with Coconut Milk

(recipe, Katie Hickey)

Introduction

If you don't have kaffir lime leaves, substitute the zest of the 2 limes and add a little sugar or agave.

Ingredients

  1. 3 medium ears of corn (or about 2¼ cups frozen corn)
  2. 8 cups chicken stock or mixture of chicken stock and water
  3. 2 stalks lemongrass, bruised/crushed
  4. 4 to 5 kaffir lime leaves (zest of 2 lime)
  5. 4 garlic cloves, sliced
  6. 1 3.0 in piece fresh ginger, sliced into rounds
  7. 2 Tbsp. Thai green curry paste
  8. ½ cup brown jasmine rice (optional)
  9. 1½ cups Yukon gold potatoes, chopped into 1" cubes
  10. 1 cup green beans or snow peas, trimmed and cut diagonally into ½" strips
  11. 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped (optional- I added this because I had it)
  12. 2 Tbsp. fish sauce
  13. fresh juice from 2 limes
  14. ½ Tbsp. sambal oelek, or to taste
  15. 1 14.0 oz. can lite coconut milk
  16. salt and pepper, to taste
  17. 2 Tbsp. chopped cilantro, plus more for garnish
  18. 2 Tbsp. chopped Thai basil, plus more for garnish
  19. shredded cooked chicken, shrimp, or 6 oz. lump crabmeat (optional)
  20. smoked paprika (to garnish)

Steps

  1. If using fresh corn, cut kernels from cob and set aside. Break up corn cobs and add to large heavy soup pot along with the chicken stock, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, garlic, ginger and curry paste and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, until ginger is softened, about 15 minutes. Pout through a mesh strainer to remove solids. Return the stock to the soup pot.
  2. Bring back to a boil. Add the rice and potatoes. turn down heat and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 30 minutes for the rice. Add the reserved corn kernels (or frozen), green beans or snow peas and red pepper and cook at a bare simmer, uncovered, until just heated through, about 2 minutes.
  3. Stir in fish sauce, lime juice, coconut milk and the optional meat or fish, if using, and simmer, uncovered, about 2 minutes to blend flavors (and cook the shrimp, if using).
  4. remove from heat, add herbs and salt and pepper to taste (or fish sauce/chili paste). Place soup in bowls and garnish with more chopped herbs and a pinch of smoked paprika.