Thai Spicy and Sour Soup
Tom Yum is a classic Thai soup known for its bold flavors—spicy, sour, and fragrant with herbs. It’s made with shrimp (Tom Yum Goong) or other seafood, but you can also use chicken or make it vegetarian.
Ingredients:
- 200 grams shrimp (peeled and deveined) or other seafood
- 3-4 cups water or chicken stock
- 2 stalks lemongrass (cut into 2-inch pieces, crushed)
- 3-4 kaffir lime leaves (torn into pieces)
- 3-4 slices galangal (or ginger if unavailable)
- 2-3 Thai bird’s eye chilies (crushed, optional for spice)
- 200 grams mushrooms (optional, cut into halves)
- 1 medium tomato (cut into wedges)
- 1 onion (cut into large pieces)
- 1 tablespoon Thai chili paste (Nam Prik Pao)
- 2-3 tablespoons fish sauce (to taste)
- 2 tablespoons lime juice (freshly squeezed)
- 1 teaspoon sugar (optional)
- Fresh cilantro leaves (for garnish)
Instructions:
- Prepare the broth: In a medium pot, bring water or chicken stock to a boil. Add the crushed lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, and galangal. Let it simmer for about 5 minutes until fragrant.
- Add vegetables: Add the mushrooms, tomatoes, and onion to the pot. Cook for about 3-4 minutes until the vegetables start to soften.
- Add shrimp and seasoning: Add the shrimp and cook for another 2-3 minutes until they turn pink and are fully cooked. Then stir in the Thai chili paste, fish sauce, and sugar (if using). Simmer for 1 more minute.
- Finish with lime: Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the lime juice. Taste and adjust seasoning with more fish sauce, lime juice, or sugar, depending on your preference.
- Serve and garnish: Pour the soup into bowls and garnish with fresh cilantro leaves. You can add extra sliced chilies for more heat if desired.
Tips:
- You can use chicken instead of shrimp, but make sure to cook it thoroughly.
- For a vegetarian version, substitute vegetable stock and tofu for shrimp, and omit the fish sauce, replacing it with soy sauce.
Enjoy your authentic Thai Tom Yum soup!