This aromatic broth will draw you in. But it’s the herby, slightly spicy shrimp meatballs that will keep you coming back for bite after bite. This unique Thai meatball soup makes for a perfectly light dinner, especially on a cold night where you just want to eat something hot and spicy to keep you warm.
The fragrant base features lemongrass, lime leaves, ginger and nuoc cham sauce. Simply add all your ingredients to a pot and let simmer for an hour. Strain through a sieve before adding in your meatballs to cook. These shrimp meatballs also come together quickly. After chopping up your shrimp, add in your spices and aromatics like Thai chili, garlic and ginger, and roll into balls. This Thai meatball soup is sure to spice up your weekly dinner rotation.
If you’re curious about Thai cuisine and trying other Thai-inspired recipes, ELLE Gourmet has you covered. Check out this Easy Pad Thai recipe with chicken or made vegan with shiitake mushrooms. For a fresh side, try our Shrimp Salad with Melon and Thai Basil, topped with crispy fried shallots.
Shrimp Meatballs in a Thai-Inspired Broth
Ingredients
Broth
- 1 carrot
- 1-2 tbsp olive oil
- 3 chives finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 stalks lemongrass halved lengthwise
- generous 1-inch ginger peeled and chopped
- 1 stalk celery chopped
- 6 cups water
- 5 dried shiitake mushrooms
- 3 kaffir lime leaves chopped
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 3 tbsp store-bought nuoc cham sauce
- pinch each salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 250 g shiitake mushrooms
Meatballs
- 1 long stalk lemongrass chopped
- generous 1-inch ginger peeled and minced
- 3 chives finely chopped
- 1 clove garlic
- half Thai chili seeded and finely chopped (adjust according to taste)
- 400 g shrimp shelled and divided
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
Instructions
- Peel and cut carrot in half. Use mandoline to create ribbons with one half and set aside. Chop other half of carrot for broth.
- In large pot, heat 1 tbsp olive oil over medium heat. Add chives, garlic, lemongrass, ginger, chopped carrot and celery; cook, stirring until tender, about 5 minutes. Add 6 cups water, dried shiitakes, kaffir leaves, soy sauce and nuoc cham sauce. Bring to boil; reduce heat and simmer for 1 hour. Season with salt and pepper.
- In large bowl, stir together lemongrass, ginger, chives, garlic and chili. Finely chop three-quarters of the shrimp; add to bowl with cornstarch and stir to combine. Chop remaining shrimp into large pieces.
- With wet hands, divide shrimp mixture into 16 even portions and gently roll into balls.
- Strain broth through a fine sieve. Pour back into pot and season with salt and pepper, if necessary. Bring to a boil; add fresh shiitakes and cook on medium-high until mushrooms are tender, about 10 minutes. Add reserved carrot ribbons and meatballs, and poach over medium heat for 5 minutes.
- Serve meatballs with broth.
