Tom Yum Soup
A fragrant, sour-and-spicy Thai soup with shrimp, mushrooms and lemongrass. Bright, warming and surprisingly quick to make at home. Tom yum sits at the centre of Thai cooking, where the balance of sour, salty, sweet and hot is adjusted at the table rather than decided in the kitchen. The lemongrass, galangal and lime leaves are there to perfume the broth — they are not meant to be eaten.
Prep time10 min
Cook time20 min
Total time30 min
Servings4 servings
DifficultyEasy
Ingredients
- 300g shrimp, peeled
- 4 cups water or light stock
- 2 stalks lemongrass, bruised
- 3 slices galangal or ginger
- 4 kaffir lime leaves (optional)
- 3 tbsp fish sauce
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- 2 Thai chilies, sliced
- 150g mushrooms, halved
- 2 tbsp tom yum paste (optional)
- Fresh cilantro, to serve
Instructions
- 1Bruise the lemongrass stalks with the back of a knife and cut them into short lengths. Slice the galangal thinly — no need to peel it if it is clean.
- 2Bring the water to a boil with the lemongrass, galangal and lime leaves, then lower the heat and simmer for 5 minutes so the broth takes on their fragrance.
- 3Add the mushrooms and cook for 3 minutes, until they soften and soak up some of the broth.
- 4Stir in the fish sauce and the tom yum paste, if using. Taste the broth now, before the shrimp go anywhere near it — this is your one clear moment to fix the salt.
- 5Add the shrimp and simmer gently for 2-3 minutes, just until they curl and turn pink. Shrimp go rubbery very quickly once they are past that point.
- 6Take the pot off the heat and stir in the lime juice and sliced chilies.
- 7Taste and adjust the balance: more lime for sour, more fish sauce for salty, and a pinch of sugar if the whole thing tastes too sharp.
- 8Ladle into bowls, scatter over the cilantro and serve with rice on the side.
Tips
- Add the lime juice off the heat so it stays bright and fresh.
- Galangal and ginger are different but both work in a pinch.
- Omit the chilies for a milder, kid-friendly version.
- The lemongrass, galangal and lime leaves are aromatics rather than vegetables. Leave them in the bowl and eat around them.
- If your shrimp come with the shells on, peel them first and simmer the shells in the broth for 5 minutes before straining. The stock tastes noticeably deeper.
