Tom Kha Goong (Coconut Shrimp Soup)

I am a mother of two and am always about easy cooking. One of my favorite quick recipes is Tom Kha Goong. I use a Tom Yum paste or Tom Yum cubes to make the broth. I use shrimp instead of chicken because I find it easier to find peeled and deveined shrimp at my local grocery store. I also use whatever vegetables I have on hand to throw in the soup. Sometimes, I even throw in angel hair pasta to make it a heartier meal. I say anything goes. Now true Tom Kha soup isn't pure white. As you can see in my picture, there are hints of red in it from the spices. Here is my recipe:

Ingredients:
3 tbs of Thai Tom Yum paste (Depending on your paste, you might need to add fish sauce or salt to taste)
3 cups of water
1 can of coconut milk (usually 13.5 oz)
1 cup shrimp, peeled and deveined
4-5 straw mushrooms or button mushrooms
1 red bell pepper, julienned (or any vegetable you would like to add)
2 tbs of lime juice
2 tbs chopped cilantro
Cilantro for garnish


Preparation:
Put water in a pot and boil. Once that has boiled, add Tom Yum paste. Slow Boil for 2 minutes to flavor water. Lower heat and add mushrooms and red bell pepper. Cook for another 5 minutes. Add coconut milk, shrimp and cilantro. Cook for 6 minutes until shrimp are cooked. Add lime juice. Fish sauce or salt if needed. Garnish with cilantro and serve.