Thai Basil Coconut Soup

I saw the most beautiful yearling today. He had about 12″ and two tiny branches on his antlers. I was standing in the kitchen looking out the patio door and he came into the yard next to the house. He looked at ME-I looked at HIM. Wow, what a moment. He really was beautiful and healthy. I marvel at the wildlife here in the great PNW. Most are plump and healthy, where I am from in Texas, they are scrawny and mean.
This soup is really decadent and delicious. It really is easy to make. I use frozen shrimp to ‘kick it up a notch’ that is always in my freezer.

THAI BASIL COCONUT SOUP

8 C chicken broth (make your own, use a low salt one, or use something like “The Organic Better than Bouillon”)
3 C unsweetened coconut milk
2 tsp Masman Curry Paste (I use Mae Ploy brand)
1 T peanut butter
1 T dried shrimp, crushed or 1 T dried shaved bonito (this lasts forever)
2 C roasted vegetables (I used zucchini, squash, carrot, green beans, yellow sweet onion, mushroom roasted slowly in olive oil with herbs and various peppers like a ratatouille)
2 C fresh vegetables (I used all chopped: celery and leaves, carrots, white spicy onion, baby zucchini, mushrooms, scallions-in other words-clean out the fridge time!)
1″ fresh ginger, peeled and diced
salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/4 C or to taste purple thai basil (licorice flavor)
1/4 C or to taste spicy globe basil (spicy not hot)
crushed roasted peanuts and basil sprigs to garnish
optional: 1 C shrimp, deveined & peeled

Makes 12 cups of soup, and it is freezable (just don’t add the shrimp until you are heating it up)

Heat chicken broth, coconut milk, Masman curry paste, peanut butter and dried crushed shrimp gradually to boiling and turn down to simmer for 15 minutes. Add the fresh vegetables, both basils, and fresh ginger and simmer for 15 minutes more. Taste and add salt, pepper, the roasted vegetables, and peanut butter or more curry paste if needed. Simmer 10 minutes and adjust flavorings to your liking. Take out the celery leaves-they add flavor but are not good to eat. Add shrimp and simmer until pink and curled.
Serve in bowls with a garnish of crushed roasted peanuts and sprigs of basil.