Thai cuisine · Soups & Stews

Kaeng Liang

A heavily peppered vegetable soup with pumpkin, corn and shrimp, seasoned with a shallot-pepper paste.

Ingredients · for 4 servings

• 300g shrimp
• 1 liter water
• 5 shallots
• 1 tsp white pepper
• 2 tbsp shrimp paste (or 2 tbsp fish sauce)
• 400g Hokkaido pumpkin
• 2 corn cobs
• 1 zucchini (or luffa squash)
• 150g button mushrooms
• 2 tbsp fish sauce
• 1 bunch Thai basil
• Salt

Instructions

1. Peel the shallots and pound them in a mortar with the white pepper, shrimp paste and a handful of peeled shrimp into a coarse paste.
2. Bring the water to a boil, dissolve the paste in it and simmer uncovered for 5 minutes, until the broth smells richly spiced.
3. Cut the pumpkin into cubes and the corn cobs into thumb-thick rounds and cook in the broth for 8 minutes.
4. Cut the zucchini into half-moons, add along with the halved mushrooms and cook for another 3–4 minutes, until everything is just tender.
5. Add the remaining shrimp and poach over low heat for 2–3 minutes, until pink and firm.
6. Season with fish sauce and salt, fold in the Thai basil only after removing from the heat, and serve at once.