Tom Yum Soup

I've wanted to make a vegetarian version of this soup for quite some time but every time I went to the local stores I couldn't find all the ingredients.  Last weekend I found them in one of my favorite stores, Healthy Living, in Burlington Vermont.  (My Mother and I took a drive up to the Islands in Lake Champlain to do some leaf peeping, visiting and shopping.)   I'm sure I could have found the ingredients closer to home if I really tried.  Not only did I find the ingredients at Healthy Living but I also found this soup recipe on their website.  I tweaked it a bit and I think I have found a new favorite.  This came out perfect.


Tom Yum Soup



Kaffir Lime Leaves, Galangal and Lemon Grass

 Ingredients
6 cups vegetable broth (I use Better-Than- Bouillon)
1 stalk lemongrass
1 T shredded kaffir lime leaves
1 T minced galangal
1 T minced ginger
1/3 lb. firm tofu, cubed
2 red chilies, de-seeded and thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
6 fresh shitake mushrooms, sliced
1 green bell pepper, sliced
1 small tomato, chopped
1 can light coconut milk
2 T soy sauce

Directions
Trim the lemongrass stalk by removing the outer hard dried skin.  Cut the stalk in half lengthwise and thinly slice.  Crush the slices with the flat part of a knife to break them up and mash them a bit.
Put the vegetable broth in a large soup pot and add the lemongrass, galangal, ginger, garlic, kaffir lime leaves and red chilies.  Bring to a boil and then lower the heat and simmer for 5 minutes, until fragrant.
Add the tofu, mushrooms and the green pepper.  Cook for about 5-8 minutes until mushrooms are soft. 
Lower the heat and add the coconut milk, tomato and soy sauce.
That's it.  Taste and adjust if needed.