Lemongrass Soup

This past weekend I was at a market where they had really good fresh lemongrass stalks, so that's what I used in this soup.  There are a number of things I've learned about lemongrass over the years.  1.  A good portion of the stalk is super fibrous and really tough to chew and swallow.  That's why I split the recipe into two parts: first making the base and removing the lemongrass, then adding all the veggies.  2.  If you don't have fresh lemongrass, I know you can buy it frozen.  I've never tried this, so I don't know what the equivalent quantity would be.  3.  Most of the recipes I saw call for kaffir lime leaves.  I didn't have any, so i substituted a lime with the peel still on instead.  4.  When you're boiling the lemongrass, crush it against the side of the pan as much as you can, it releases the flavor.If I haven't totally scared you off, this is actually a pretty simple recipe and it tastes really good!

Ingredients

2 cups vegetable stock

2 cups water

4-5 stalks lemongrass (depending on the thickness)

1 lime, cut into quarters with skin still on

1 inch piece of ginger, grated

1 tsp salt

1 cup corn

1 cup bell peppers, diced

1 cup fresh mushrooms, sliced

1/2 cup tomatoes, diced

1/2 cup carrots, diced

1 cup coconut milk

1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Preparation

1.  Prepare lemongrass: Peel off the top layer of the lemongrass stalk and discard.  Cut ~1 inch off both ends and discard.  Cut the remaining stalk into 4 pieces and then cut these pieces in half.2.  Put the lemongrass, water, stock, lime pieces, ginger, and salt in a large saucepan.  Bring this to a boil, then turn down the heat and simmer for 20 mins.  Crush the lemongrass against the side of the pan periodically.3.  Pour the liquid through the a strainer into another saucepan.  Discard the lemongrass.4.  Add the corn, bell peppers, mushrooms, tomatoes, and carrots.  Bring to a simmer and boil for 10 mins.5.  Add the coconut milk and cilantro and serve hot!