Somlor Somlok

Somlor Somlok – Cambodian mixed vegetable soup with fish, mushrooms, dried shrimps, Khmer squash, green bean, bamboo, taro, chee prohaer (Khmer herb), fresh chili , slek nguob (mountain vegetable), chili leaves combining ingredients with native flavor such as rhizome, lemon grass, prahok, garlic which is the outstanding flavor of somlor somlok. Very tasty and hearty soup full of vitamin. It is served with steam rice and along with Trey Ngeat (sun dried fish).

Somlor somlok is similar to somlor prohaer both have the same base ingredients and vegetables. And the same cooking process, the only different is, with somlor prohaer, the fish is pounded into small pieces and tumeric root is often added where somlor somlok, the fish cut into chunk. The best part of somlor somlok is the joy of tasting varieties of vegetable, there are AT LEAST 9 different kinds and more.


Preparation:

A) *Soak dried shrimps in lukewarm water for 15 minutes. Then wash it very well and discard the soil. Pat dry. -In a mortar – pound dried shrimps and garlic, rhizome together. -In a bowl – extract prahok. And save for later use.	B) Cut fish (catfish) into chunk. Wash and pat dry. Lightly fry them. Set it aside for later use.	(hard vegetables) C) Cut green bean, taro, and Khmer squash.Wash well and drain them. * Bamboo shoot must be boiled once and wash a few times to get rid of the smell.
D) -Part enoki and oyster mushroom. Wipe the dirt out or wash them if necessary.	E) Part chee prohaer, slek nguob, slek mtess from the stems. Wash each item and drain well.

Making somlor somlok:

In medium soup pot bring water to boil on high heat. Reduce to medium high heat, add A & C with some salt, sugar, fish sauce and chicken broth powder. Loosely cover and bring to boil until the hard vegetables are tender. Remove the white foam. Then add B & D, Loosely cover and bring to boil, then add E. Bring E to first boil and turn of the heat right away. Do not over cook the leaves (E - herbs, slek nguob, chili leaves).

Note: If you don’t have chicken broth powder, you can use msg.
-You may use catfish, Trey ros (Khmer fresh water fish), Trey Ondaeng (Khmer mud fish), tilapia, OR even chicken if you can’t find any fish.
-Vegetable option: slek bas, zucchini, spinach are fine.