Thai Curry-Coconut Soup with Shrimp

Though I tend to favor thick, pureed vegetable-based soups as accompaniments to main dishes, there are a few soups I have had that struck me as perfect as meals on their own. This Thai-inspired curry-coconut soup is one of them. This soup's broth is fantastic - vegetable, chicken, or shrimp stock simmered with coconut milk, red curry paste, ginger, garlic and onions, with a splash each of lime juice and fish sauce, respectively. The soup gets its heartiness from a few generous handfuls of kale and oyster mushrooms as well as succulent shrimp poached in the soup before serving. Garnish with cilantro, lime slices or wedges, and serve in large bowls for a satisfying meal that needs little else on the side, save for perhaps a mango or papaya salad.

Ingredients:
1 large onion
3 cloves minced garlic
1 teaspoon minced ginger
3 bird chiles, seeded and chopped
1 piece lemongrass
1 teaspoon Thai red curry paste
1/2-pound oyster mushrooms
1/2-pound shrimp
1 can coconut milk
4 cups vegetable, chicken, or shrimp stock
Juice of 2-3 limes
2 tablespoons fish sauce
3 handfuls kale, torn into bite-sized pieces

Procedure:
(1) Sautee onions, garlic, and ginger in a pot over medium heat for about 7-8 minutes.
(2) Add curry paste and combine with other contents of the pot.
(3) Add coconut milk and stock.
(4) Cut several incisions in the piece of lemongrass and add it to the pot.
(5) Add lime juice, fish sauce, and chopped chiles.
(6) Allow contents to just barely reach a simmer, then add mushrooms and shrimp. Stir for a few minutes until shrimp have turned orange - this means they are cooked.
(7) Add kale and cook for about 2 more minutes.
(8) Remove lemongrass from the pot.
(9) Serve soup in large bowls, garnished with cilantro and lime slices or wedges.