300g firm-flesh winter squash (kabocha or calabaza are ideal), cut into 1-inch cubes
300g zucchini, cut into 1-inch cubes
300g chayote, cut into 1-inch cubes
300g baby corns
200g mild-flavored mushrooms (button or oyster are great), cut into bite-sized pieces
500g large shrimp, peeled and deveined
Fish sauce, to taste
20g fresh lemon basil leaves
Instructions
In a mortar, pound together the shallots and peppercorns into a smooth paste.
Add the shrimp meat and shrimp paste continue to pound until the shrimp and the paste become homogenous. If you don’t have a mortar, use equal amount of ground white pepper and blend that with the shallots and the shrimp meat in a small food processor until you get a smooth paste.
Put the broth into a large pot along with the paste; bring to a boil.
Immediately add the pumpkin, zucchini, chayote, corns, and mushrooms to the pot; bring to a gentle boil once again.
Add a tablespoon of fish sauce to the pot.
Once the vegetables are tender but still hold their shape, add the shrimp.
Once the shrimp is cooked through, immediately turn off the heat.
Add more fish sauce, if needed.
Stir in the lemon basil leaves.
Serve with rice as a main course.
Recipe by SheSimmers at https://shesimmers.com/2011/08/spicy-thai-mixed-vegetable-soup-kaeng.html