Poh Taek (Clear Seafood Soup)

Poh Taek (Clear Seafood Soup)

Galanga

With its long coastlines, Thailand has an abundance of seafood that’s legendary. Poh taek is a tangy sweet, sour, and salty soup of meaty crab, shrimp, fish, squid, and mussels. The clear broth is teeming with nuggets of seafood that offer a palate of varied textures. Brightened with galangal, lemongrass, basil, and lime juice, the briny flavors shine through.

Recipe Servings: 4

Prep Time

20 minutes

Cook Time

15 minutes

Total Time

35 minutes

Vegetarian

Vegan

Gluten Free

Dairy Free

Kosher

Halal

Ingredients

5 cups (1.2 L) water or stock
1 2-inch/5-centimeter piece galangal, bruised
1 lower end of lemongrass, bruised
2 kaffir lime leaves
1 cup (240 ml) crab meat
2 cups (480 ml) boneless fish cubes
1 cup (240 ml) shelled shrimp
1 cup (240 ml) mussels, in shell
1 cup (240 ml) cubed squid
2 Tbsp (30 ml) fish sauce
1 Tbsp (15 ml) lime juice, more to taste
1½ tsp (7.5 ml) salt, more to taste
¼ cup (60 ml) whole basil leaves

Directions

Place water, galangal, lemongrass, and kaffir lime leaves in a pot and bring to a boil.
Add crab, fish, shrimp, mussels, and squid.
Bring mixture to a boil, cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 5 minutes. Do not overcook.
Add fish sauce, lime juice, and salt.
Simmer for 5 minutes.
Taste and adjust seasoning for a salty and tangy flavor, adding more salt and/or lime juice as necessary.
Serve poh taek garnished with basil.