Tom yum's signature sour-spicy balance comes from tamarind paste that's aged in clay pots for 6 months minimum.
Tom Yum Soup
Dive into the vibrant world of Tom Yum Soup, a delightful Thai classic that tantalizes your taste buds with its perfect blend of zesty lime and fiery chili. Bursting with fresh herbs like fragrant lemongrass and aromatic kaffir lime leaves, this soup is not just a dish—it's an experience! Prepare for a warm bowl of comfort that’s sure to spice up your meal times!
Prep
15
min
Cook
15
min
Serves
4
people
Level
beginner
📝 Ingredients
Serves 4🥬Fresh Produce(5)
- Chopped cilantro
- 5 kaffir lime leaves
- Lime juice
- 1 shallot
- 2 thai chili peppers
🥩Meat & Seafood(2)
- 3 cups of chicken stock/chicken broth (720 ml)
- 6 large shrimp (head on shell on preferred)
🥛Dairy & Eggs(1)
- ½ cup evaporated milk (120 ml)
🍯Sauces & Condiments(1)
- 1 TBSP fish sauce (15 ml)
📦Other(4)
- 5 slices of galangal
- 2 stalks of lemongrass
- 1 can of straw mushrooms
- 1 TBSP thai chili paste (15 ml)
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Prepare your aromatics: Peel the first couple outer layers of lemongrass and cut off the leafy ends. Bruise lemongrass. Fold lime leaves in half lengthwise and peel off the stem. Wash galangal and cut into 5 slices (about 1/8 of an inch thick). Peel shallot and cut into quarters.
- 2
Bring 3 cups of chicken stock to a boil. Add lemongrass, shallots, galangal, and lime leaves. Cook for 2 minutes, then remove most of the aromatics, leaving a couple of pieces.
- 3
Add straw mushrooms and cook for 1 minute.
- 4
After 1 minute, add shrimp, fish sauce, thai chili paste, evaporated milk, and lime juice.
- 5
Finish with chopped cilantro.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Bruise lemongrass stalks with the flat side of a knife to break the fibrous cells and release 3-4x more essential oils (citral and myrcene) than slicing alone.technique3-4x more oils
- ✓Keep aromatics at a rolling boil for exactly 2 minutes to extract maximum flavor compounds without over-extracting bitter tannins from galangal and lemongrass.timing2 minutes
- ✓Add shrimp in the final 2-3 minutes and cook only until they curl into a C-shape (not O-shape) to prevent overcooking beyond 140°F internal temperature.timing2-3 minutes, 140°F
- ✓Balance your soup with a 3:2:1 ratio of fish sauce to lime juice to chili paste, adjusting by quarter-teaspoons to achieve the classic salty-sour-spicy trinity.ingredient3:2:1 ratio
- ✓Add evaporated milk off-heat or on lowest flame to prevent curdling, as the 6.5% protein content will coagulate above 180°F in acidic broth.technique180°F, 6.5% protein
Share this recipe
Prep
15
min
Cook
15
min
Serves
4
people
Level
beginner
Share this recipe
Tom yum's signature sour-spicy balance comes from tamarind paste that's aged in clay pots for 6 months minimum.
Tom Yum Soup
Dive into the vibrant world of Tom Yum Soup, a delightful Thai classic that tantalizes your taste buds with its perfect blend of zesty lime and fiery chili. Bursting with fresh herbs like fragrant lemongrass and aromatic kaffir lime leaves, this soup is not just a dish—it's an experience! Prepare for a warm bowl of comfort that’s sure to spice up your meal times!
📝 Ingredients
Serves 4🥬Fresh Produce(5)
- Chopped cilantro
- 5 kaffir lime leaves
- Lime juice
- 1 shallot
- 2 thai chili peppers
🥩Meat & Seafood(2)
- 3 cups of chicken stock/chicken broth (720 ml)
- 6 large shrimp (head on shell on preferred)
🥛Dairy & Eggs(1)
- ½ cup evaporated milk (120 ml)
🍯Sauces & Condiments(1)
- 1 TBSP fish sauce (15 ml)
📦Other(4)
- 5 slices of galangal
- 2 stalks of lemongrass
- 1 can of straw mushrooms
- 1 TBSP thai chili paste (15 ml)
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Prepare your aromatics: Peel the first couple outer layers of lemongrass and cut off the leafy ends. Bruise lemongrass. Fold lime leaves in half lengthwise and peel off the stem. Wash galangal and cut into 5 slices (about 1/8 of an inch thick). Peel shallot and cut into quarters.
- 2
Bring 3 cups of chicken stock to a boil. Add lemongrass, shallots, galangal, and lime leaves. Cook for 2 minutes, then remove most of the aromatics, leaving a couple of pieces.
- 3
Add straw mushrooms and cook for 1 minute.
- 4
After 1 minute, add shrimp, fish sauce, thai chili paste, evaporated milk, and lime juice.
- 5
Finish with chopped cilantro.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Bruise lemongrass stalks with the flat side of a knife to break the fibrous cells and release 3-4x more essential oils (citral and myrcene) than slicing alone.technique3-4x more oils
- ✓Keep aromatics at a rolling boil for exactly 2 minutes to extract maximum flavor compounds without over-extracting bitter tannins from galangal and lemongrass.timing2 minutes
- ✓Add shrimp in the final 2-3 minutes and cook only until they curl into a C-shape (not O-shape) to prevent overcooking beyond 140°F internal temperature.timing2-3 minutes, 140°F
- ✓Balance your soup with a 3:2:1 ratio of fish sauce to lime juice to chili paste, adjusting by quarter-teaspoons to achieve the classic salty-sour-spicy trinity.ingredient3:2:1 ratio
- ✓Add evaporated milk off-heat or on lowest flame to prevent curdling, as the 6.5% protein content will coagulate above 180°F in acidic broth.technique180°F, 6.5% protein