Yu Choy, Shrimp & Taro Soup

Click to Enlarge	Yu Choy, Shrimp & Taro Soup Khmer Krom - Salor spee t'souy trao pakon
	Serves Effort: Sched: DoAhead:	4 soup ** hr Yes		An easy to make, attractive and tasty soup. Yu Choy is an Asian green now widely available in the U.S. where markets serve an East or Southeast Asian community. Other Asian greens could be used with some difference in flavor - but see my confession Note-3. See also Note-4 for information on Khmer Krom.

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7
1/8
1/8
1
5
4
14
1/2
1
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oz
t
t

oz
c
oz
t
T
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Shrimp, peeled
Salt
Pepper, black
Scallions
Taro root (1)
Stock, light
Yu Choy (2)
Sugar
Fish Sauce
--- Garnish
Scallions, chopped

Prep

Grind SHRIMP, chop SCALLIONS fine and mix both with Salt and Pepper. Form into small balls less than 1 inch in diameter. I use the meat grinder attachment for my KitchenAid mixer for the grinding.
Peel TARO ROOT and cut into cubes about 3/4 inch on a side.
Cut YU CHOY into lengths of about 1 inch at the stem end to 1-1/2 inches at the leaf end. Cut larger stems in half lengthwise and discard excessively large stems (over 3/8 inch).

Run

Heat Stock and simmer Taro Root until tender, 10 to 15 minutes.
Stir in Shrimp Balls and Yu Choy. Bring to a boil and simmer until shrimp balls are cooked through, about 8 minutes.
Season with Fish Sauce and Sugar. Serve hot, garnished with chopped Scallions.

NOTES:

Taro Root, the staple of Hawaii (poi), is easily available in any market that serves a tropical or subtropical community.
Yu Choy: A popular Asian green - more detail can be found on my Cabbage Greens page.
Confession: I prefer waxy potatoes instead of taro, and so might the Khmer Krom if potatoes could be grown in tropical swamps. I like to spoon some cooked rice into my bowl of soup at the table. If rushed, I might simply cut whole shrimp in half and toss them in when the yu choy is nearly done instead of making shrimp balls - but I haven't actually done that yet.
Khmer Krom is the Mekong Delta, a part of Cambodia given to Vietnam by the French in 1949. This has resulted in severe repression of the native Khmer people by the Vietnamese. Khmer Krom Network..
U.S. measure: t=teaspoon, T=Tablespoon, c=cup, qt=quart, oz=ounce, #=pound, cl=clove in=inch