Thai Sour Curry Soup with Fish and Shrimp (Kaeng Som)
Thai sour curry soup with fish and shrimp (Kaeng Som) is tangy, salty, and healthy. This sour curry soup is popular in Southern Thailand, where the seafood is abundant and fresh. It's not only tasty but a healthy soup of nutritious ingredients.
- Prep time
- 15 min
- Cook time
- 15 min
- Yield
- 4 servings
- Difficulty
- HARD
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup shallot, chopped small
- 1 tbsp garlic, chopped small
- 1 oz Krachai, chopped small.
- Dry chilis 8-15. Adjust as needed for spiciness. Remove seeds and soak them in hot water for 10-15 minutes. Or microwave for 3 minutes with water, and let sit to soften
- 8-10 oz fish. You can cut it into bite-size pieces or leave them in large fillets. I like my fish in large pieces better as they don't fall apart easily in the soup when cooking.
- 1 lb large raw shrimp, shells, heads, and tails on. If using shrimp with no heads or shells, use only 12 oz
- 5 cup water or stock
- 2 cup napa cabbage, sliced into large, 3-4 inches pieces
- 1 cup green beans, cut into 1-2 inch pieces
- 1 tsp salt
- 1.5 tsp shrimp paste
- 1/3 cup tamarind
- 3 tbsp fish sauce
- 1-2 tbsp fresh lime juice
- 1 tsp sugar
Instructions
- 1
Make the stock. Remove shrimp heads and shells, and leave the tails on. Place in a stock pot and leave the rest of the shrimp for later. Add 6 cups of water to the stock pot with shrimp heads and shells, boil on medium heat, then let it simmer for 10 minutes.
- 2
Drain the shrimp stock and discard the shells and heads. You should have a bright orange stock for making soup.
- 3
Make the paste. Add shallot, garlic, Krachai, and shrimp paste to a small food processor. Add 2 tablespoons of water to the mixture and blitz until a paste forms.
- 4
Add half of the fish and 3-4 pieces of the large shrimp to the stock to do a quick boil. Cook for 2-3 minutes until the fish is soft. Remove with a wire mesh strainer and add the cooked fish and shrimp to a food processor. Blitz the fish and shrimp with the paste mixture, and add 2 tablespoons of stock water to help turn the blades. Set aside.
- 5
Add 5 cups of stock back into the pot, and bring to a gentle boil on medium heat. Add the paste to the stock pot, stir and mix well.
- 6
Add napa cabbage and green beans, fish sauce, and sugar. Cook for 2-3 minutes until tender.
- 7
Add the rest of the fish and shrimp and cook for only 2 minutes.
- 8
Add the tamarind sauce and lime juice to get the sour flavor. Turn the heat off and adjust with more tamarind juice, fish sauce, or salt. Done! Scoop into a serving bowl with rice and enjoy! The soup is best when it’s served hot.