Soup with stuffed cucumber

Ingredients for 6 servings:

• 2 cucumbers, preferably long and slim
• 1 tbsp coriander root(s), cleaned and finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• Black pepper, freshly ground
• 250 g minced pork, finely chopped, not too fatty
• 2 tbsp soy sauce, light
• 1 ½ liters of beef broth
• fish sauce
• 2 tsp chili paste, roasted (Naam Prik Pao), also a little more
• ½ tsp sugar
• 6 spring onions (Thai spring onions), cut into thin rings
• lots of coriander leaves for garnish

Instructions

Working time approx. 15 minutes; Total time approx. 15 minutes

Tom Dhaeng Kwah

Wash and peel the cucumber, trim both ends, then cut into 4 cm long pieces. Use an apple corer to remove all the seeds. Crush the coriander root and garlic with the pepper in a mortar and pestle until a paste forms. Mix the paste with the pork and soy sauce and knead everything thoroughly. Season with a little fish sauce if desired. The mince should be well seasoned. Stuff the cucumber pieces with the mixture. Insert a toothpick through each piece to prevent the filling from falling out during cooking. Bring the broth to a boil with a little fish sauce, add the cucumber pieces, reduce the heat, and let the soup simmer gently for 8-10 minutes. The cucumber pieces should still have some bite. Stir the roasted chili paste with some of the broth until smooth and season the soup with it. Season to taste with fish sauce and sugar. Remove the toothpicks. Serve garnished with coriander leaves and spring onions. Note: Organic cucumbers are particularly good. They are generally slimmer and firmer than conventional cucumbers and have more flavor. If the skin is thin, you can also peel the cucumbers in strips. If you have any leftover filling, form small dumplings and let them simmer in a little broth in a separate pot, then add them to the soup. This will help clear the broth.