American Recipes

Lemongrass substitute

Enter the lemongrass substitute you see below Sorry, we just need to make sure you’re not a robot. Thai flavors: salty, sour, sweet, and spicy.

Darlene Schmidt is a cookbook author and culinary teacher who specializes in Thai cuisine. Diana has served as head recipe developer and editor for the Emmy-nominated PBS series Moveable Feast, food editor and test kitchen manager at Fine Cooking Magazine, and recipe developer and product tester at Food Network. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice. Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. This soup recipe calls for shrimp or prawns and comes together quickly for a satisfying weeknight dinner.

Our method offers the choice of adding coconut milk—which then makes the soup a tom kha—or leaving it out. If you’d prefer a richer-tasting soup, try adding it, whereas if you prefer a clearer soup, try it without. Place the stock in a large pot over high heat. Add the minced makrut lime leaves, minced lemongrass, and any leftover lemongrass stalks if you’re using fresh lemongrass. When the soup reaches a bubbling boil, reduce the heat to medium or a steady simmer. Add the garlic, galangal, chile, mushrooms, lime juice, fish sauce, soy sauce, and sugar. Simmer for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.