Martha Stewart's Coconut Shrimp Soup

Although I love Martha Stewart, her recipe for Coconut Shrimp Soup, pg. 186 from the"Great Food Fast" cookbook was inedible.  Fortunately, I have a strong gag reflex.  I turned the recipe around, saving it only slightly, but enough to where I could at least eat a bowl of soup.

Of course, if you love the flavor of coconut (dessert) in a bowl of soup, you may enjoy this recipe!  It's overwhelmingly "coconutty."  I thought increasing the ginger might help, but I ended up grating my own fingers instead, while trying to save the soup.  I decided, I'd let this recipe go ...  It was too much work to save it!

The photo in the cookbook looks appetizing, but don't be fooled!  I love coconut everything, but this recipe I would not make again.

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon grated peeled fresh ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 to 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 pound carrots (6 to 8 medium) peeled, halved lengthwise, and thinly sliced
1 can (13.5 ounces) coconut milk
1 tablespoon cornstarch
4 ounces angel hair pasta
1 1/2 pound large shrimp, peeled, deveined, and tails removed
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
coarse salt
4 scallions, thinly sliced

1.  Heat the oil in a large (3-quart) saucepan over medium-low heat.  Add ginger, garlic, and the pepper flakes; cook, stirring, until fragrant about 1 minute.  Add the carrots, coconut milk, and 3 cups water.  In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch and 2 tablespoons water until smooth; add to the pot.  Bring to a boil.

2.  Break the pasta in half; add to the pot. Return to a boil, reduce the heat to medium, and simmer until the pasta is al dente and the carrots are just tender 3 - 4 minutes.

3.  Add the shrimp; stir until opaque, about 1 minute. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the lime juice; season with salt.  Ladle into serving bowls, and garnish with the scallions. Serve immediately.

The soup is white.  However, my soup is red because I added a ton of curry paste to the soup in order to save it.  I also added lemon grass and a couple other vegetables. It tasted a lot better, although I could not eat more than a bowl. 

Although many of Martha Stewart's recipes are phenomenol, this one definitely isn't one for me!  For those of you who may enjoy the recipe, good luck!