Time & Results

• Preparation time: 20-30 minutes.
• Cooking time: 15-20 minutes.
• Servings: 4 250-ml (one cup) servings.

Ingredients:

Nam Prik Pow Sauce:

• 4 tablespoons sunflower oil
• 3 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 3 shallots, finely chopped
• 2 large red chilies, seeded and roughly chopped
• 150 ml (1/2 cup) water
• 2 tablespoons sugar (1)
• 1 teaspoon salt (omit if using canned/cubed broth later)

Broth:

• 850 ml (3.5 cups) vegetable stock
• 1 lemongrass, bruised (2)
• 5 kaffir lime leaves (3)
• 2 tablespoons light soy sauce (4)
• 1 teaspoon sugar (1)
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 250g (4 ounces) oyster mushrooms, roughly separated
• 1 carrot, peeled and cut into thin matchsticks
• 1 or 2 red chilies, seeded and roughly sliced

Garnish:

• 110g (4 oz) beansprouts
• 2 tablespoons fresh coriander leaves (5)
• Glass noodles (optional)

Preparation

1. Make the nam prik pow sauce by heating the oil and then frying the garlic over a moderate heat until the garlic is golden brown. Remove the garlic from the oil using a slotted spoon and then fry the shallots in the same pan until they're crisp and golden. Again, remove them, and then fry the chilies until they're darkened. Place the shallots, garlic, and chilis into a blender, along with the measure of water. Purée until smooth.
2. Heat the leftover oil again in the frying pan. Add the nam prik pow sauce from the blender, the sugar, and salt (if using). Stir and cook the sauce until it thickens and becomes a dark, reddish brown.
3. Pour your vegetable stock into a large saucepan and add the nam prik pow sauce and the rest of the ingredients. Cover the pan and bring it to a boil, then gently simmer the soup for 10 minutes, until the mushrooms are tender. Add the glass noodles at this step, if using.
4. Place some bean sprouts into the waiting bowls, then cover them with the soup, garnishing the whole bowl after with the chopped coriander leaves.

Notes

1. I like to use a dark sugar like brown sugar, but regular granulated white sugar works fine.
2. If you can't find fresh lemongrass at your local grocery store, try an Asian ethnic store. If that fails, you may be able to substitute dried lemongrass -- try 2 tablespoons first and then to taste as lemongrass is an important taste in this recipe.
3. Another speciality ingredient that you're only likely to find in an Asian ethnic store. Fresh leaves work best, but dried leaves can be used easily in the same quantities. If you can't find these special lime leaves, you can try substituting a tablespoon or two to taste of lime juice, but lime juice isn't really the same thing at all.
4. Light soy sauce has less salt and isn't as dark as regular soy sauce. Regular soy sauce or tamari sauce can be substituted. Remember to lower the salt used in any further steps.
5. Cilantro is an almost identical plant and can be used interchangeably with coriander leaves. You can't substitute dried coriander, the spice, for coriander leaves.

Personal Notes

Another personal favourite, which takes surprisingly little time to make but has a big taste.

This recipe appeared originally in New Covent Garden Soup Company (1999). New Covent Garden Soup Company's Soup & Beyond: Soups, Beans and Other Things. pp: 59. Macmillan (London).