Nothing’s better on a cold winter day than a warm bowl of soup. But by mid “soup season,” some of us have fallen into a soup recipe rut. If you’re bored with your soup repertoire, here’s one of our winter favorites to awaken your taste buds.

Ingredients

• 2 cloves garlic, sliced
• 1 shallot, chopped
• 1 tsp ground chili paste
• 1 fresh red chili, chopped
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 tsp black peppercorns
• 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 1/3 pound raw shrimp, peeled and deveined, shells reserved
• 5 cups unsalted chicken stock
• 3 slices galangal
• 1 stalk lemongrass, bruised with the back of a knife cut into 1” pieces
• 3 kaffir lime leaves, sliced into thirds
• 3 tbsp fish sauce
• 1 tbsp palm or brown sugar
• ½ cup sliced shiitake mushroom caps
• 2 small ripe tomatoes, sliced in wedges
• 1/3 cup fresh lime juice
• 10 fresh Thai Basil leaves
• 5 sprigs cilantro, chopped

Instructions

Place garlic, shallot, chili paste, red chili, cilantro, and peppercorns into a mortar and pestle or food processor and grind into a paste. Heat oil in a pot over medium heat, Add shrimp shells and brown until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the spice mixture to the pot and stir for about 20 seconds. Add chicken stock and simmer for 5 minutes. Strain out the shrimp shells and discard. Add galangal, lemongrass, kaffir leaves, fish sauce, brown sugar, shiitake mushrooms and tomatoes. Bring to a boil. Add the reserved shrimp and cook for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and add lime juice, basil leaves, and cilantro.

Enjoy!