Thai-Style Hot and Sour Blue Crab Soup

• 1 pound fresh lump crab meat
• 2 shallots, peeled and finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
• 4 Thai chilies or 6 small jalapeno chilies, steamed, seeded, and finely chopped
• 1 stalk of lemongrass, white part sliced as thin as possible
• 3 kaffir lime leaves (optional)
• 3 1/4-inch-thick slices fresh or frozen galangal (optional)
• 1/4 cup lime juice or more to taste
• 1/4 cup Thai fish sauce or more to taste
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 3 cups chicken broth or crab broth (see headnote)
• 1 15-ounce can unsweetened coconut milk
• Salt (optional)
• 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped cilantro leaves

1. SORT through the crab meat and remove any pieces of shell.
2. COMBINE all the ingredients except the crab and cilantro and simmer gently for 10 minutes.
3. Season to taste with salt, more fish sauce (Thai dishes that taste under-salted often need fish sauce instead of salt), and/or more lime juice.
4. The soup should have a distinct tang.
5. Immediately before serving, bring the soup to a boil over high heat and stir in the crab meat and the cilantro.
6. Leave the crab meat over the heat for just 1 minute more to heat through.
7. Serve immediately in hot bowls.

crab meat, shallots, garlic, chilies, possible, lime, lime juice, fish sauce, sugar, chicken broth, unsweetened coconut milk, salt, cilantro

Taken from www.cookstr.com/recipes/thai-style-hot-and-sour-blue-crab-soup (may not work)