Poh Taek (Clear Seafood Soup)

Poh taek

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: Serves 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 piece (2 in/5 cm) galangal, bruised
1 lower end of lemongrass, bruised
2 kaffir 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 tablespoons (30 ml) fish sauce
1 tablespoon (15 ml) lime juice
1.5 teaspoon (7.5 ml) salt
1/4 cup (60 ml) whole basil leaves

Directions

Bring water, galangal, lemongrass, and kaffir lime leaves to a boil.
Add crab, fish, shrimp, mussels, and squid. Bring to a boil.
Cover and cook on medium for 2 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 3 more minutes. Do not overcook.
Add fish sauce, lime juice, and salt, and bring to a boil. Simmer for 5 minutes. Adjust for a salty-tangy taste.
Serve poh taek garnished with basil.