Low-carb Thai coconut milk soup with prawns and lemongrass

Name: Low-carb Thai coconut milk soup with prawns and lemongrass
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 2 servings
Ingredients: 250 g king prawns (peeled, deveined); 400 ml coconut milk; 200 ml chicken stock (or vegetable stock); 150 g mushrooms; 2 stalks of lemongrass; 3 slices of galangal (or ginger); 1 tbsp lime juice; 2 red chillies; 1 small bunch of coriander; 2 tbsp fish sauce

Low-carb Thai coconut milk soup with prawns and lemongrass: creamy, spicy and fresh with coconut milk, lime, mushrooms and coriander.

At a glance

Serves 2
Prep time: 10 min
Cooking time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Calories: 380 kcal per serving
Protein: 28 g
Fat: 26 g
Carbs: 12 g

Ingredients

250 g king prawns (peeled, deveined)
400 ml coconut milk
200 ml chicken stock (or vegetable stock)
150 g mushrooms
2 stalks of lemongrass
3 slices of galangal (or ginger)
1 tbsp lime juice
2 red chillies
1 small bunch of coriander
2 tbsp fish sauce

Method

You’ll need: saucepan · chopping board · knife · wooden spoon · ladle

Bruise the lemongrass with the back of a knife and cut into pieces. Slice the galangal, quarter the mushrooms and slice the chillies into rings.
Heat the coconut milk and stock in a saucepan. Add the lemongrass, galangal and makrut lime leaves and leave to infuse gently for a short while.
Add the mushrooms to the soup and cook for a few minutes until they are soft and have taken on flavour.
Add the prawns and cook only until they turn pink and are just cooked through.
Take the pan off the heat and stir in the fish sauce and lime juice. Season to taste until the soup tastes salty, fresh and rounded.
Ladle into bowls and serve with coriander and chilli. Traditionally, the lemongrass and galangal stay in the soup but aren't eaten.

Good to know

This soup is warm and clear in flavour, yet nicely creamy. It's on the table quickly and feels like a small dinner with a restaurant touch.

Swaps

Prawns → chicken breast (also plenty of protein). Galangal → ginger (similar spicy heat, easy to find). Fish sauce → tamari with a little salt (a soya-based alternative without fish). Mushrooms → shiitake (more umami, also contains fibre).

Allergens

Contains crustaceans and fish, plus soya if you use tamari; reduce the chilli a lot for children, and in pregnancy only use prawns that are fully cooked through.

Dairy-free recipes