Tom Yum Kha
By: Gorey
Published: Saturday, January 30, 2010 - 5:40pm

Ingredients




4 cups (1 box) low-sodium chicken stock
1/4 teaspoon lime zest
3/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
3 large cloves garlic, chopped fine
medium juice of one  lime
1 tablespoon lemon juice
3 tablespoons fish sauce (I use Filipino Rufina-brand patis)
cup about 1  (½ 14-oz. can) light coconut milk
1 pound medium shrimp, peeled, deveined & washed
1/2 cup shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced
3/4 cup snow peas, strings removed and cut in half
1/4 cup carrots, chopped
1/4 cup scallions, sliced, white and green parts
1/4 cup canned water chestnuts, chopped
topping:
1/2 cup fresh cilantro (or parsley), finely chopped
1/2 cup scallions, slice thinly

Preparation

1 In a deep pot, bring chicken stock to a medium boil. 2 Add red pepper flakes and garlic, stir well, and boil about 2 minutes. 3 Add the fish sauce, lime zest, lime juice and lemon juice; stir; cook an additional minute to let ingredients mingle in broth. 4 Add shrimp and vegetables, stir; cook about 3 minutes, until shrimp are pink and firm. 5 Reduce heat to slow simmer, stir in coconut milk; heat for an additional minute to be sure everything is hot. 6 Serve immediately, topped with a sprinkling (to taste) of the fresh herb-scallion mixture. Can be served, in a bowl, over a small spoonful of rice, if desired.

About


I was unable to find Kaffir lime leaves and lemongrass - traditional Thai ingredients for this soup - and substituted the lime zest and lemon juice, which gave the soup the same flavors. 
Of course if you can locate those two things, use them, but this is a nice alternative to making this delicious and healthy dish.