Thai Soup

This soup is VERY easy and fast.  If you like Thai flavors and easy, light dinners, this is the soup for you.  This is a conglomerate recipe, taking some ideas from the famous Tom Yum soup.  A few of the ingredients are readily available to me here in the US, but I have found some good substitutes in preserve jars at Whole Foods supermarket.

1. Bring water to boil with lemongrass*, minced garlic, galangal (Thai white ginger), kaffir lime leaves (chopped and/or crushed to release the flavor), minced chili pepper (use the hotness you desire, from jalapeno to habanero), fish sauce and salt. 
    *I usually "activate" the lemon grass by chopping it into three very large pieces (so that it is easy to remove since it is inedible) and then tenderizing it with the back of a knife blade.  This will really bring out the essence of the lemongrass.

2. Drop in the mushrooms, tofu and tomatoes (cut in half).  Bring to a boil.

3. Add the fresh lime juice and shrimp.  They can be pre-cooked, frozen or fresh.  I use a few.  If you don't like shrimp, just don't add it.  The soup will still taste really good!  Bring to a boil, or just until the shrimp is fully cooked, which takes only a few minutes if you shrimp are small.

4. Optional: add chili powder to make it more hot, or some chopped up green pepper.

For the lazy person:
Throw everything into a pot, bring it to boil and eat!