Tamarind Vegetable Soup

This soup is not strictly vegetarian (like many Indonesian vegetable and tofu dishes) because it includes shrimp paste. You can omit it, but I think a crucial component of the soup’s flavor profile will be lost. If you can’t find chayote, use zucchini, green papaya, or kohlrabi. Although Julia flavors this soup with salam leaves and galangal, you can substitute ginger, lemongrass, and/or makrut lime leaves.