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Homemade prawn ball soup is a delightful dish that showcases the delicate sweetness of prawns served in a light and comforting soup.
This heartwarming and nutritious dish combines the succulent taste of prawns with aromatic herbs and fresh vegetables, creating a perfect blend of flavors that is both comforting and invigorating. Here’s an in-depth look at how you can prepare this delicious homemade prawn ball soup in your own kitchen.
Homemade Prawn/Shrimp Ball Soup
Ingredients
For the shrimp balls:
- 500 g shrimp peeled and deveined
- 3 cloves garlic
- 10 g ginger
- 1 egg white
- ¾ tsp salt
- ¾ tsp sugar
- 1 tsp fish sauce
- ¼ tsp ground white pepper
- 3 Tbsp potato starch or use corn starch
- 8 sprigs fresh cilantro leaves finely chopped
For the soup:
- 6 pieces Napa Cabbage halve each leaf
- 8 cups chicken broth
- 1 tsp chicken powder
- ½ tsp sugar
- ¼ tsp ground white pepper
- Salt to taste
Garnishes:
- 1 stalk spring onion finely chopped
- Cilantro leaves
Instructions
Prepare the prawn balls:
- Put the shrimp on a baking sheet and put it in the freezer for 1 hour. These will harden them but won't be completely frozen. The cold helps maintain a low temperature while mixing and shaping the prawn paste, which is crucial for achieving the desired bouncy and firm texture of the prawn balls.
- Place the prawn and other ingredients, except for the cilantro leaves, for the prawn balls in a large food processor and pulse until it forms a sticky paste
- Fold the chopped cilantro leaves into the paste and combine.
- Cover and let this chill in the freezer for 30 minutes or about 1-2 hours in the refrigerator We want to make sure everything is nice and cold
Prepare the soup:
- Put the chicken broth in a small pot. Bring to a boil then add the napa cabbage leaves and bring it back to a simmer and then lower the heat and let it simmer until the leaves are tender. Add chicken powder, ground white pepper, sugar, and salt to taste. Have a taste and adjust seasonings to your preference
Cook the prawn balls:
- Wet your palm with some water. This is to prevent the paste from sticking to your hands. Pick up some of the prawn paste and squeeze a round ball shape out with your fingers. Use a spoon to scoop the ball off your hands or you can squeeze the prawn ball directly into the simmering soup.
- You can also use a spoon to scoop the paste if you prefer.
- Repeat with the rest of the prawn paste. Cook for about 2-3 minutes over medium-low heat until the prawn balls turn pink and cooked through
To serve:
- Ladle the soup into a large bowl. Sprinkle with some finely chopped green onion and/or cilantro leaves as garnishes
*Nutrition facts are just estimates and calculated using online tools*
Why do we need to make sure everything is cold?
1. Texture Improvement: The cold helps maintain a low temperature while mixing and shaping the prawn paste, which is crucial for achieving the desired bouncy and firm texture of the prawn balls. The cold temperature prevents the prawn paste from becoming too warm and soft, ensuring that the final product has the right consistency.
2. Binding Enhancement: The cold helps the protein in the prawns bind together more effectively. This binding is essential for the prawn balls to hold their shape during cooking and to have a springy texture.
3. Ease of Handling: The cold temperature makes the prawn paste less sticky and easier to handle. This makes it simpler to shape the mixture into uniform balls without it sticking to your hands.
Other usage
Besides making soup, prawn balls can also be used in other dishes. Here is how:
1. Simply bring water to a simmer then start squeezing the shrimp paste to form a ball and cook until they are cooked through. Soak them in an ice water bath to stop the cooking process and maintain that bouncy texture
2. Remove from the ice water and then store them in the fridge for 3-4 days or in the freezer for up to one month
