Squash Soup

Ingredients

• 1/3 pound deveined shelled shrimp, rinsed and chopped
• 1 green onion, ends trimmed, chopped
• About 3 tablespoons Asian fish sauce (nuoc mam or nam pla)
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 pound upo or zucchini
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• White pepper

Preparation

1. 1. In a food processor or with a knife, mince shrimp with onion. Mix with 2 tablespoons fish sauce and black pepper.
2. 2. Put shrimp mixture in a 5- to 6-quart pan. Stir over high heat until shrimp mixture is pink and crumbly, about 5 minutes.
3. 3. Then add 1 1/2 quarts of water to the shrimp mixture and bring to a boil over high heat.
4. 4. Meanwhile, pare upo with a vegetable peeler (trim zucchini ends, but don't peel). Then cut squash into matchstick-size sticks.
5. 5. Add squash to boiling shrimp broth. Cover and simmer gently until squash is tender to bite, 5 to 10 minutes.
6. 6. Ladle soup into bowls, sprinkle with cilantro, and season to taste with more fish sauce and white pepper. Serve hot or cool.