Bún tôm – Vietnamese Shrimp Soup with Noodles

Preparation

• 1
  Bring 1.5 liters of water to a boil in a large pot. Peel the shrimp, reserving the heads and shells, and add them to the boiling water. Let it boil for about 10 minutes, then reduce the stock over low heat for another 10 minutes. Strain the stock through a fine sieve. Return the clear stock to the pot and add ginger (sliced), kaffir lime leaves, fish sauce, and sugar.
• 2
  Cut the tomatoes into small pieces. In a pan with a little vegetable oil, briefly sauté the chopped garlic, then add the tomatoes and peeled shrimp. Season with salt and pepper. Briefly fry the shrimp until pink, then set aside. Add the tomatoes to the stock. Season the stock with salt or fish sauce as needed. Finally, add the fresh lime juice.
• 3
  Cook the rice noodles according to package instructions (approx. 5-6 minutes). To prevent the noodles from sticking, rinse them with cold water after cooking. Shortly before serving, pour hot water over the noodles to warm them, and drain well.
• 4
  Distribute the noodles, shrimp, tomatoes, finely chopped spring onions, coriander, and chili (if desired) into deep bowls. Pour the boiling hot stock over them and serve immediately.