Cookie On the Road Series: Simplified Vietnamese Hot & Sour Shrimp Soup

I’m currently travelling every week for work and the constant eating out is killing me! This week I came armed with a few supplies and the determination to  cook some Healthy, Hot & Delicious meals while on the road! Follow along if you dare brave this unknown world…

First, you will need your culinary weapons of choice. For me, that’s my beloved knife and some chopsticks!

Hi-YAH!

Next,I will say that I am lucky enough to be staying at a hotel with a kitchenette stocked well with utensils, plates, and pans. That definitely makes things easier! If you only have a microwave, you’ll have to stay tuned for something simpler than this recipe.

If you’ve ever had Vietnamese Hot & Sour Soup, this is a quick and dirty version done in about 15 min. They KEY ingredients in my mind are the fresh shrimp to make a sweet broth, and the rice paddy herb for that unique citrusy bite.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 lb shell on shrimp
• 2 tomatoes
• 3 stems Bac Ha (Vietnamese taro stem)
• 1 bunch Ngo Om (Rice Paddy Herb)
• 1 inch ginger
• 1 tsp cayenne
• 3 TB soy sauce
• 1 tsp sugar
• A few dashes of fresh cracked pepper
• Thai basil

Steps:

1. Heat up a pot of water to boiling

2. Peel the shrimp and save the shells

3. Slice the bac ha, chop up the tomatoes, slice up the ginger

4. Once the water gets to boiling, throw in the shells

5. Once the water comes back to boiling, scoop out the shells. Add the ginger, bac ha, tomatoes and bring to boil again. Let it cook on medium high about 5 min

6. Add sugar, cayenne, pepper and shrimp. Let it cook about 5 min and then taste. Add soy sauce, cayenne to taste.

7. Throw in the Ngo Om/Rice Paddy Herb at the very end. Serve with some fresh basil torn on top.