20 Dollar Chef - Bootleg Shrimp Pad Thai Soup

Today on the 20 Dollar Chef, we go with a nice little bootleg Shrimp Pad Thai Soup. I’m certain making a legit Pad Thai is tougher, but for what we are trying to do, this works perfectly. I went with some random Korean noodles. ( Most of the labeling is in Korean at the store I shop at so I’m not sure what I got exactly.)

I went heavy on the spice. The serrano peppers really live up to their name. This is a pretty budget-friendly meal. The shrimp might have been $10 a lb. You can eat this as a starter soup or as a full meal.  Don’t overlook that this is also another solid chance to get your chopstick skill set polished up.

Shrimp Pad Thai Soup:

• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 2 shallots, thinly sliced
• 1 Thai chili pepper or serrano pepper, seeded and finely chopped
• 1 can (28 ounces) no-salt-added crushed tomatoes
• 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
• 2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce or fish sauce
• 6 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 1 pound uncooked shrimp (31-40 per pound), peeled and deveined
• 6 ounces uncooked thick rice noodles

 The following is for the garish. Which is equally as important.

• 1 cup bean sprouts
• 4 green onions, sliced
• Chopped peanuts, optional
• Lime wedges