Coconut and Thai Curry Soup with Vegetables and Meatballs

Ingredients
1 lb. ground pork
1/4 cup very thinly sliced scallions, the white and light green portions only
1-2 Tbs. fish sauce, divided
1 Tbs. + 1 tsp. grated fresh ginger
1 Tbs. coconut oil or peanut oil
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1-2 Tbs. Thai red curry paste
1 finely chopped red chili pepper
1 stalk of lemongrass, halved, woody parts removed (optional)
2 (14 oz. each) cans of coconut milk
1 Tbs. maple syrup (or brown sugar)
3-4 cups of chicken stock
1 large carrot, sliced into long, thin ribbons using a vegetable peeler
2 small limes (mine were golfball sized) (or 1 lime plus two kaffir lime leaves if you can get your hands on kaffir lime leaves)

Preparation

• 4-6 cups of sliced greens (like cabbage, bok choy, broccoli, or a mix)
• 1/2 cup loosely packed chopped cilantro, plus more for serving
• In a medium bowl, mix together the pork with the scallions, about 1/2 Tbs. of fish sauce and 1 tsp. of grated ginger.  Roll into small balls (somewhere between the size of a large marble and a walnut) and set aside on a cutting board or baking sheet.
• In a large pot, heat the oil over medium high heat.  Add the garlic and the remaining ginger and cook for a minute.  Add the thick cream from the top of one of the cans of coconut milk to the pot and stir the curry paste and the chopped chili into this as it melts.  Cook until it begins to sizzle.
• Add the rest of the coconut milk from the can, plus the other can of coconut milk.  Stir in the lemongrass (if using), maple syrup, the chicken stock (3 cups for a thicker,creamier soup, 4 cups for a soupier soup), the remaining fish sauce, and the carrot.  Bring the soup to a boil, then turn down to a simmer cook, covered, for about 10 minutes.
• If you’re using two limes, zest and juice one and cut the other into quarters (with peel on).  If you’re using one lime plus kaffir lime leaves, just zest and juice the one lime.  Stir the zest, juice, and quartered lime/lime leaves into the soup.  Gently add the meatballs, cover, and cook for 5 minutes.
• After five minutes, add the vegetables, put the cover back on the pot, and continue to simmer until the vegetables are tender, 5-10 minutes depending on what veggies you’re using.  Once they’re cooked, stir in the half cup of cilantro.  Taste, and season the soup with salt or fish sauce to taste.
• Remove the lemongrass stalk and the lime quarters.  Serve accompanied by extra cilantro for sprinkling.