Shrimp and Brown Rice Soup

Name: Shrimp and Brown Rice Soup
Total time: 1 h
Yield: Serves six
Cuisine: asian
Ingredients: 2 shallots, finely chopped; 4 large garlic cloves, minced; 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper; 2 tablespoons Vietnamese or Thai fish sauce; 1/2 pound peeled, deveined shrimp, finely chopped about 3/4 pound in the shell); 2 quarts water; or use half chicken or vegetable stock, and half water; 1 cup sprouted brown rice; 2 stalks lemon grass, trimmed and minced; 2 tablespoons peanut oil or canola oil; 2 tablespoons dry-roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped; 1 cup cilantro leaves; 2 cups bean sprouts; Minced bird or serrano chilies; Lime wedges

By Martha Rose Shulman

Total Time: 1 hour
Rating: 4(37)
Notes: Read community notes

This irresistible soup is inspired by a Southeast Asian dish traditionally made with Thai jasmine rice. The recipe is adapted from one in “Hot Sour Salty Sweet,” by Naomi Duguid and Jeffrey Alford.

Featured in: Brown Rice, but Better

Learn: How to Make Rice

Learn: How to Make Soup

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Ingredients

Yield:Serves six

2shallots, finely chopped
4large garlic cloves, minced
½teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2tablespoons Vietnamese or Thai fish sauce
½pound peeled, deveined shrimp, finely chopped about ¾ pound in the shell)
2quarts water; or use half chicken or vegetable stock, and half water
1cup sprouted brown rice
2stalks lemon grass, trimmed and minced
2tablespoons peanut oil or canola oil

For the Garnish

2tablespoons dry-roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped
1cup cilantro leaves
2cups bean sprouts
Minced bird or serrano chilies
Lime wedges

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Preparation

Step 1
Mix together the shallot, half the garlic, the pepper, 1 tablespoon of the fish sauce and the shrimp. Set aside.
Step 2
Combine the remaining garlic and the lemon grass in a mortar and pestle, and grind to a paste. Alternatively, mince in a mini-chop.
Step 3
Combine the water or stock and water, remaining fish sauce and rice in a soup pot, and bring to a boil. Stir in the garlic and lemon grass paste, and reduce the heat. Taste the water and add salt if desired. Cover and simmer 40 minutes until the rice is tender.
Step 4
Heat the oil over high heat in a wok or skillet, and add the shrimp mixture. Stir-fry until the shrimp begins to turn pink, about one minute. Add one ladleful of liquid from the soup pot, stir together, then transfer the contents of the wok or pan to the soup. Bring back to a simmer, and simmer five minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings.
Step 5
Serve, garnishing each bowl with cilantro, chopped peanuts, bean sprouts and chilies if desired. Have guests squeeze lime into their bowls.

Tips

Sprouted brown rice is a packaged product that you can find in natural foods stores with other packaged grains. The grains are sprouted, then dried. It looks and cooks like regular brown rice.
Advance preparation: You can make this several hours before serving. Remove from the heat, refrigerate if leaving for more than an hour, and reheat just before serving.

Ratings

4 out of 5

37 user ratings

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Private Notes

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Cooking Notes

Denise6 years ago

Very flavorful. Used home made lobster stock and half water as suggested. Instant brown rice was what I had on hand. Added some lime juice and Sriracha also a little shredded Savoy cabbage.

Meta6 years ago

My husband loved this (me too). Made exactly as described. Next time I'd just use regular, much less expensive brown rice, and probably serve with sriracha sauce instead of the chopped hot peppers.

NJ1 year ago

The version I made combines a similar Korean soup with this Thai recipe- I made the following adjustments - 1. Added Sliced ginger, about four slivers & 2tsp ginger paste 2. Added local clams to the broth (about 15-20) 3. Added 2 Tbsp of soybean paste to the broth to darken 4. Subbed brown rice for the sprouted rice (already had cooked brown rice in the rice cooker and added it to the broth at the end) 5. Sprinkled seaweed and topped with the fresh bean sprouts and cilantro. My wife loved it!

Meta6 years ago

My husband loved this (me too). Made exactly as described. Next time I'd just use regular, much less expensive brown rice, and probably serve with sriracha sauce instead of the chopped hot peppers.

Denise6 years ago

Very flavorful. Used home made lobster stock and half water as suggested. Instant brown rice was what I had on hand. Added some lime juice and Sriracha also a little shredded Savoy cabbage.

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