Vietnamese Sweet Sour Shrimp Soup

Ingredients
MAKES: 4 servings
2 tablespoons tamarind pulp (optional)
1/4 cup thinly sliced shallots
1 tablespoon salad oil
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon Asian chili paste or hot chili flakes
5 cups fat skimmed chicken broth
1 pound (30 to 35 per lb.) shrimp, peeled, deveined, and rinsed
1-cup pineapple chunks (3/4 in.)
2 tablespoons Asian fish sauce (nuoc mam or nam pla) or reduced sodium soy sauce
3 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup lime juice (6 tablespoons if you don't use tamarind pulp)
2 Roma tomatoes (6 oz. total), rinsed, cored, and cut into 1/2 inch wedges
2 cups (6 oz.) bean sprouts, rinsed and drained
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Thai or anise basil (rau bung que) or regular basil leaves
2 tablespoons chopped rice paddy herb (ngo om) or fresh cilantro
About 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh Thai (bangprik) or serrano chilies

Directions
1. In a bowl, combine tamarind pulp and 1/3 cup hot water. Let cool, rub pulp off seeds, and press mixture through a fine strainer into another small bowl; discard seeds.
2. In a 5 to 6 quart pan over medium heat, stir shallots with oil until golden and crisp, 3 to 6 minutes. Lift out with a slotted spoon and drain on towels.
3. Add garlic and chili paste to pan and stir until garlic is fragrant, about 10 seconds. Add broth, cover, and bring to a boil over high heat.
4. Add shrimp, pineapple, fish sauce, sugar, lime juice, and reserved tamarind pulp. Cook, uncovered, just until shrimp turns pink, 2 to 3 minutes.
5. With a slotted spoon, transfer shrimp and pineapple to wide soup bowls. Stir tomatoes, bean sprouts, basil, and ricepaddy herb into hot broth.
6. Ladle soup mixture into bowls and sprinkle with fried shallots. Add chopped chilies to taste.