Clear, spicy kailan soup with shrimp

Ingredients for 2 servings:

• 100 g shrimp(s), raw, peeled, without tail, approx. 16 cm, frozen
• 1 tbsp rice wine (Shaoxing)
• 4 m.-large Kailan (Chinese broccoli)
• 50 g leek
• 30 g carrot(s)
• 15 g ginger
• 300 g water
• 6 g broth powder (mushroom bouillon, granules)
• 1 tsp, leveled umami seasoning (granules or paste)
• 2 tbsp fish sauce, light
• 1 tsp, leveled XO sauce
• 2 tbsp sesame oil, dark

Instructions

Working time approx. 20 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 30 minutes; Total time approx. 50 minutes

A tasty and hearty appetizer, enjoyed with rice as a snack. Recipe from Eastern cuisine, China.

Pat the thawed shrimp dry. Make a 6 mm deep cut along the back all the way to the end and remove the dark intestines. Cut the shrimp into thirds crosswise and marinate in the rice wine at room temperature until ready to use. Remove the 8 cm end of the washed kailan and use whole. Separate the leaves at the stem. Separate the stems at the beginning of the leaves and chop them crosswise. Remove the midribs and discard. Roughly chop the leaves. Trim the lower ends of the stems, peel them with a vegetable peeler from the third leaf down and cut them crosswise into pieces about 6 mm thick. Wash the leek and cut it crosswise into pieces about 3 cm long. Grate the washed and peeled carrot into coarse pieces. Peel the washed ginger and cut it crosswise into thin slices. Quarter large slices. For the broth, bring the water to a boil, dissolve the mushroom stock and umami in it. Mix in the fish sauce and XO sauce. Add the leek, carrot, and ginger, and simmer with the lid on for 25 minutes. Strain and gently squeeze out the liquid. Continue simmering the broth. Add the shrimp and their marinade to the broth. After 3 minutes, stir in the kailan stems, and after another minute, stir in the kailan leaves. Simmer for 1 minute. Ladle the finished soup into serving bowls, drizzle with sesame oil, serve, and enjoy.