Red Curry Soup

Ingredients:

• 1.5 L vegetable or chicken stock
• 0.5 L coconut milk
• 1 cup of shrimps
• 5 mushrooms (shiitake or button)
• 2 zucchinis (courgettes)
• 1 onion
• 1 carrot
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 ginger piece (2 cm x 2 cm)
• 3 cardamom pods
• 1 small Chinese vermicelli package.
• 2 tablespoon of olive oil
• 1 teaspoon red curry paste
• bunch of fresh coriander leaves
• 1 spring onion

Optional:

• 1 lemon grass stick, 3 cm

Instructions:

1. Chop all of the veggies in small pieces.
2. In a sauce pan, heat the oil at medium temperature and add the red curry paste. When paste is smooth and the oil turns to a reddish colour, turn the heat higher and add onions, mushrooms and ginger.
3. Cook until onions become translucent, then add the garlic. 
4. Stir quickly to avoid burning the paste or turn the heat down.
5. Add the stock, red curry paste, zucchinis, cardamom and lemon grass.
6. Simmer for 5 to 10 minutes.
7. Reduce the heat and add the carrot, the coconut milk and shrimps.
8. Cook for 2 minutes or until the soup takes a darker colour.
9. Remove from heat.
10. Two minutes before serving, add the vermicelli. 
11. Decorate with the coriander leaves and a finely chopped spring onion

Warning:
Red curry paste is the most powerful curry. Therefore, the longer your soup simmers the stronger and spicier it will get.

Note:

Use a good quality coconut milk, otherwise you will not taste the coconut flavour.

You should find that the zucchinis have taken in the intense flavours of some of the other ingredients.

Enjoy!