The word soup as used in the name of this recipe — Coconut Shrimp Soup — translates as a substance that makes a satisfying main-course dish. Nor is this 30-minute wonder the kind of soup that has to simmer for hours before it's ready to pour into steaming bowls.
The recipe is grouped under the heading "Dinner 1-2-3" in a feature in the November issue of Everyday Food magazine. Happily for the hungry in a hurry, this dish is just three main steps away from your dinner table, made from scratch.
The flavor comes from a creative combination of just a few seasonings and ingredients, plus carrots and pasta for a nutritionally well-rounded whole. Plenty of reasons for both cooks and diners to dig into this one with gusto.
COCONUT SHRIMP SOUP
(Start to finish 30 minutes)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
1 pound carrots (6 to 8 medium), peeled, halved lengthwise, and thinly sliced
13 1/2-ounce can coconut milk
1 tablespoon cornstarch
4 ounces angel-hair pasta
1 1/2 pounds large shrimp, peeled, deveined, and tails removed
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
Coarse salt
4 scallions, thinly sliced
Heat oil in a large (3-quart) saucepan over medium-low heat. Add ginger, garlic and pepper flakes; cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add carrots, coconut milk and 3 cups water. In a small bowl, mix cornstarch and 2 tablespoons water until smooth; add to pot. Bring to a boil.
Break pasta in half; add to pot. Return to a boil, reduce heat to medium, and simmer until pasta is al dente and carrots are just tender, 3 to 4 minutes.
Add shrimp; stir until opaque, about 1 minute. Remove pot from heat, and stir in lime juice; season with salt. Ladle into serving bowls, and garnish with scallions.
Makes 4 servings.