This soup is an Asian inspired broth. You can choose from a wide array of shellfish or crustaceans, however we have opted for prawns and mussels as they are readily available throughout the year and easy to access from any market or local supermarket. Mussels are especially wonderful when cooking in a broth as they readily carry the smells and flavours of the sea to your dish.

We have used a prawn stock that is very easy to prepare and make in advance. I prefer to purchase prawns whole, simply because it’s easier to determine their freshness. Not only that, but prawn heads have lots of flavour to add to various dishes, like this one, for example. To prepare your prawns, remove the heads and peel them, leaving the tails on. Reserve the prawn heads and shells as you will need these to make your stock. Remember, any extra stock can be frozen and used for a future recipe. Prawn stock is great to use for making sauces, soups (like this one) or seafood risotto.

**Prawn stock can be made in advance and stored frozen (if you wish). Sauté  the prawn heads and shells heads, together with a good amount of crushed garlic (4 cloves) and 1 onion roughly cut into wedges. Season generously with 2 tsp of salt,  cover with 2 liters of boiling water and cook on medium heat for approximately 45 minutes. Set aside, once cooled drain. Prawn stock is now ready to use.

Preparation Time:  30 minutes

Serves: 4 people

What you will need:

1 ltr prawn stock (as detailed above)

1 ltr boiled water

12-15 uncooked prawns (peeled with tails left on)

1kg mussels

1 lemongrass stalk, finely sliced

1 tbs vegetable oil

1 tbs sesame oil

1/2 cup chopped chives

3 garlic cloves, crushed

5 kaffir lime leaves

1 small fresh chilli

1 tbs Sweet chilli sauce

1 tbs soy sauce

1 tbs fish sauce

1.5 cup cooked rice

8 cherry tomatoes or 2 Roma tomatoes roughly chopped

5 medium mushrooms sliced

2 lime

1 lemon

Bunch of coriander chopped

Wedge of lemon or lime to serve

Preparation:

*Cook your rice using the directions on the product packaging. Whilst your rice is cooking you can prepare the soup.

Heat the vegetable and sesame oil in a deep saucepan / pot and add lemon grass, chilli, garlic, and chives and saute for 1 minute. Add peeled prawns and cook for one minute on high heat, stirring ocassionally.

Lower the heat and add kaffir lime and mushrooms and cook together with the prawns for a further minute.

Add sweet chilli sauce, fish sauce and soy sauce and stir through.

Add the prawn stock and boiled water and cook on low-medium heat for 5 minutes.

Add the mussels and cover the pot with a lid. Steam for 10 minutes.

Finally add the lemon and lime juice, stir through then add the tomatoes.

Add the rice and ladle the broth over the top. Finish with freshly chopped coriander and a wedge of lemon/ or lime.