Easy Thai coconut soup (tom ka)

One of my favorite Thai dishes to order in a restaurant is coconut soup (Tom ka). It's most commonly served with chicken, but as a pescatarian now, I prefer it with shrimp. Recently, I learned an easy shortcut: you can buy the spice paste that makes the base of the soup in Asian grocery stores or on Amazon.

This paste is full of lemongrass, ginger, garlic, and galangal. It makes this dish easily achievable as a weeknight meal. I like to add shrimp or tofu, plus lots of mushrooms to make it more substantial. If you like things spicy like I do, marinate your protein in a little sambal olek or sriracha while getting set up.

Tom ka soup

Tom ka paste 
10 oz button mushrooms, quartered
.5 lb shrimp or 1 pack tofu, diced
1 can coconut milk
2 cups water
2 t sambal olek or sriracha (optional)

2 t lime juice
handful cilantro

handful chopped green onions (optional)

Add sambal to shrimp or tofu and let marinate a few minutes, if using. In a medium saucepan, stir in tom ka paste, mushrooms, coconut milk, and water. Bring to a simmer and add shrimp or tofu, Simmer for a couple more minutes, until protein is cooked through. Remove from heat and stir in lime juice and herbs. Serves 4.