Soup Night!

 A few weeks ago, I found myself at an Asian grocery store in Northern Virginia glancing over the multitude of unusual and exotic products. I have been trying to expand my culinary skills and Asia grocers are an amazing place to start. If you ever wonder where to get those odd food items and surprisingly inexpensive produce, check out ethnic markets. Perusing through the aisles I have to admit can be intimidating. Luckily, most of the food packages have either directions in English or step by step picture instructions.
One of my favorite things to do is to recreate dishes from restaurants. I tend to go through phases various cuisines. Lately, I have been obsessing about Thai and Indian cuisine.  The different curries and side dishes are endless!
This day, I was in the mood to try something new. To be honest, I have never had tamarind. It looks weird and I've seen the tamarind drinks at the health food store (all I think is... bean juice.. really?!?) Not a clue what it tasted like. I've heard it is used to create savory sour dishes and sweets. So, I picked up a packet of tamarind soup base and figured what the heck! For $1.49, I'll give it a go. I added a pack of fresh baby bok choy, shitake mushrooms, green onions, mung bean sprouts and a package of udon noodles. I had some baby scallops and shrimp at the house and decided to add my soup. My grocery bill was well under $10 and was quite satisfied with my purchase.
When I got home, I threw together the ingredients, got the family to the table and served it up with a dash of Sriracha sauce. The package called for ten cups of water, making a huge batch of soup. I have one word to say about tamarind... SOUR!! What a surprise! Although all the elements of the shellfish and combinations of vegetables and noodles made everything come together well. I believe I've tasted this flavor once before and didn't realize it. Its sourness is likened to hot and sour soup.
My kids liked the soup. However, they didn't finish the broth. Maybe it was a bit too sour for them. It's worth trying again. Maybe a different brand or find a traditional recipe. It's low calorie, sodium and yes SOUR!