Today was one of those awesome “celebration” type times that my kids look forward to. It was “beach day” for our 5th graders. Well, guess what…it was murky and rainy and still a lot of fun. I decided to make a soup that could be described the same way. GourGanics Tom Yam or Tom Yum Soup is our take on a classic Thai dish.

I wish I could make this warming, yummy soup for the entire 5th grade right now, or least the teachers and staff. I’m sure everyone is a little cold and could use a bright tasting “pick me up.” This will take about 45 minutes or so to create. I modified the master recipe from a website called delish.com. GourGanics adds another layer of “something something” that you won’t even know what to do with!

Here’s what you need:

1 stalk lemongrass Organic if possible, minced
2 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
4 cups organic vegetable broth

2 cups water

1/2 jar GourGanics spicy Salsa

1  organic jalapeño, sliced
The juice of 1 organic lime plus the zest of same small organic lime
1 cup(s) sliced organic shiitake mushroom caps
1/2  medium organic red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 tablespoon(s) fish sauce if you don’t have this a dash of soy sauce will be okay
8 ounce(s) good quality peeled and deveined raw shrimp,

If you are a vegetarian, replace shrimp with 1 cup cubed tofu ( I did this today)
2  organic scallions, sliced
1/3 cup(s) chopped fresh organic cilantro

Here’s what to do:

Gently smash lemongrass and ginger on a cutting board with the side of a knife. Place in a large saucepan with broth, jalapeños and lime zest. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer; cover and cook for 15 minutes. Strain into a bowl. Throw away the strained elements left in your sieve.

Return the broth to the pan. Add salsa, mushrooms, bell pepper, fish or soy sauce add tofu if using. Bring to a simmer and cook, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Add shrimp if using and cook until they are pink and just cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in limejuice, scallions and cilantro.

Serve piping hot right after you take a long hot shower. Guaranteed to warm you, heart and soul!