Sweet and Sour Shrimp Soup

Ingredients

• 2 cups bean sprouts 
• 1 tbsp vietnamese fish sauce 
• 1  garlic clove minced
• 1 cup cabbage shredded green finely
• 2  limes cut into wedges
• 1 qt chicken broth reduced-sodium
• 0.3  pineapple fresh cut into wedges, then into 1/8-in.-wide matchsticks
• 0.7 pound shrimp raw deveined peeled per lb.), and
• 1 sprigs several rice paddy herb chopped
• 2  roma tomatoes cut into 1-in. cubes
• 2  shallots dried with paper towels cut into 1/8-in.-thick slices, then
• 2 tablespoons sugar 
• 2 tablespoons tamarind pulp (from a 1-lb. brick)
• 15  thai basil leaves 
• 2 small thai bird chiles hot chopped
• 0.5 cup vegetable oil 
• 0.5 teaspoon sambal oelek 

Equipment

• bowl
• paper towels
• pot
• sieve

Directions

1. Break off tamarind from brick and soak in 1/3 cup warm water 30 minutes, then push through a sieve and discard solids.
2. Heat oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot and fry shallots, gently stirring, until golden and crisp, about 12 minutes.
3. Drain on paper towels.
4. Pour all but about 2 tsp. oil into a heatproof bowl (reserve for another use).
5. Cook garlic in pot over medium heat, stirring, 20 seconds.
6. Add chili paste, broth, 1 cup water, the fish sauce, sugar, tamarind liquid, and tomatoes; bring to a boil, covered.
7. Simmer, uncovered, 5 minutes.
8. Add cabbage, pineapple, bean sprouts, and shrimp; cook just until shrimp curl. Stir in herbs and chiles; serve with shallots and lime wedges.
9. *Find tamarind pulp and sambal oelek in the Asian aisle of well-stocked grocery stores or at Asian markets.