Scallop Soup with Potatoes and Chili

Ingredients

• 1 medium leek stalk
• 500 g Potatoes
• 5 tbsp olive oil
• 1 stalk lemongrass
• 0.5 Red chili pepper
• 700 ml fish stock
• 1.5 tbsp fish sauce (Asian grocery)
• 8 scallops (pre‑cooked and peeled)
• Salt
• black pepper (ground)
• 2 tbsp fresh coriander leaves

Instructions

1. 1.

   Wash, trim, and slice the leek into rings. Peel the potatoes and cut them into 1 cm cubes. Sauté both in 3 tbsp hot olive oil until the leek begins to brown. Remove the outer leaves of the lemongrass and finely chop it. Wash the chili, deseed, and slice into thin rings.

2. 2.

   Add the lemongrass and chili to the vegetables and cook for 1 minute, then pour in the fish stock and add the fish sauce. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 15–20 minutes until the potatoes are tender. Season with salt and pepper.

3. 3.

   Meanwhile, heat the remaining olive oil in a large pan and sear the scallops for about 1 minute on each side, then remove and let cool slightly. Slice each scallop crosswise once, add to the hot soup, and warm for another ~10 seconds. Serve the soup in deep bowls garnished with coriander.