Southeast Asian Lemon Grass & Coconut Milk Soup
All of the varied flavors come together very well in this Asian inspired soup. Sweet, salty, spicy and yet still delicate, this is a great start to any meal.
Ingredients
4 stalks lemon grass
4 14.5-oz. cans chicken broth
2 jalapeño chiles, seeded, thinly sliced
2 tbsp. ginger, slivered
4 4-oz. Maine lobster tails
2 cups unsweetened coconut milk
1⁄4 cup brown sugar
1⁄4 cup fish sauce
1⁄4 cup lime juice
2⁄3 cup green onions, thinly sliced
1⁄4 cup basil, chopped
1⁄4 cup cilantro, chopped
Steps
1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Meanwhile, pound the lemon grass stalks until flattened; discard the dry ends of the stalks. Cut the bulb sections into 1-in. pieces.
2. In a saucepan over medium heat, combine lemon grass, broth, jalapeño and ginger and bring to a boil. Reduce to low, cover, and simmer 15 min.
3. Meanwhile, plunge lobster tails into boiling water and simmer 5 min.; drain well. When cool enough to handle, twist off the tail flippers. With your finger, push meat out from the tail end. Slice the tail in half lengthwise, then into thin slices. Reserve.
4. Add coconut milk, brown sugar and fish sauce to the lemon grass broth and bring to a simmer. Add lobster and heat through. Remove from heat and stir in lime juice to taste. Stir in green onions, basil and cilantro and serve.