Description
This fragrant Thai soup gets its authentic flavor from kaffir lime leaves and fish sauce. Pineapples and shrimp keep this soup light and refreshing for enjoying year round.
Ingredients
- 4 ounces dried flat rice noodles, broken into 2 to 3 inch pieces
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro plus more for serving
- 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice, divided
- 1 (13.5 ounce) can coconut milk, well shaken
- 4–5 medium kaffir limes leaves, torn into large pieces
- 8 ounces shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 5 tablespoons fish sauce
- 4 tablespoons sugar
- 3 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- 1 1/2 cups fresh pineapple chunks
Instructions
- Cook noodles. In a 4-quart saucepan, add enough water to fill the pan about 1/2 full. Bring the water to a boil and then add the rice noodles. Cook the noodles until they are just tender, about 6 minutes. Drain and rinse the noodles.
- Prep noodles. Transfer the noodles to a medium bowl (save the saucepan). Add chopped cilantro and 1 tablespoon lime juice to the noodles. Toss to evenly coat the noodles. Set aside.
- Cook shrimp. Wipe out the saucepan with a paper towel. To the saucepan, add the coconut milk and the lime leaves. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium-high heat then add the shrimp. Cook until the shrimp are almost cooked through.
- Season broth. Stir in the fish sauce, sugar, and broth and return mixture to a simmer. Add the pineapples and the remaining 2 tablespoons of lime juice. Cook until pineapples are heated through. Season soup to taste with more fish sauce if desired.
- Serve. Divide noodles among serving bowls and pour hot soup over noodles. Serve soup with extra cilantro and sliced Thai chilis if desired.
Notes
- The dried flat rice noodles are sometimes called pad thai noodles.
- Kaffir lime leaves can be found at Asian grocery stores and some specialty grocery stores. In a pinch, you can substitute fresh lime peel for the kaffir lime leaves. Use a vegetable peeler to peel thick strips from the lime. Use about a 1 x 2 inch strip of lime peel for every medium sized leaf called for in the recipe.
