Zab-E-Lee Thai & Sushi Restaurant 4837 Old National Highway, College Park, 404-477-2987, www.zab-e-lee.biz
Q: I’d like to have the recipe for Tom Yum Soup from Zab-E-Lee Thai & Sushi Restaurant. Thank you. — Angela Sutton, Union City
A: Tom Yum is one of the most popular soups in the world. At Zab-E-Lee Thai & Sushi Restaurant in College Park, you can order it with shrimp, tofu or chicken. Owner Vichien Shaipitisiri says shrimp is the most popular addition, and that’s the recipe the restaurant provided. Chef Cola Shaipitisiri suggests this is an easy soup to personalize. It’s customary to add more peppers, lime or fish sauce to adjust the seasonings to your taste. Nam prik pao is a spicy, complex chile paste widely used in Thai cooking. You’ll find it in Asian markets and at the Buford Highway Farmers Market.
Zab-E-Lee’s Tom Yum Soup
8 cups low-sodium chicken broth
4 stalks lemongrass, light green portion only, thinly sliced
1 (2-inch) piece galangal root, chopped
20 mushrooms, sliced (about 3/4 pound)
12 small red chile peppers, whole
4 kaffir lime leaves, sliced into thread-like pieces
4 tablespoons fish sauce
Juice of 1 lime
2 cups fresh shrimp, peeled, tail left on (about 3/4 pound)
2 tablespoons nam prik pao, or to taste
16 sprigs cilantro, optional
In a large saucepan, bring chicken broth to a boil. Add lemon grass and galangal, cover pot and simmer for 6 minutes. Remove from heat and strain out solids.
Return to stovetop and add mushrooms, chiles, kaffir lime leaves, fish sauce and lime juice. Simmer 5 minutes, then stir in shrimp and nam prik pao. Simmer 3 minutes or until shrimp is cooked through. Garnish with cilantro, if desired. Makes 4 servings.
Per serving: 226 calories (percent of calories from fat, 29), 41 grams protein, 15 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram fiber, 10 grams fat (1 gram saturated), 133 milligrams cholesterol, 211 milligrams sodium.
