Tom Yum is one of the most well-know Thai recipes and I have the BEST and most authentic Tom Yum Goong recipe for you. Goong means shrimp in Thai language as the soup is usually made with shrimp. You can also make it with seafood such as squid or a combination of different seafood.
The best Tom Yum calls for shrimp stock, which you can make by boiling the shrimp heads with water, a trick I learned from Chez Pim. A good stock guarantees the great taste of Tom Yum. However, you can also make it with water or canned chicken stock. Another secret is the use of nam prik pao (Thai roasted chili paste). You can’t do without the aromatics: galangal, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves and bird’s eye chilies.
To make Bangkok-style Tom Yum which is creamier and whiter in color, add a few tablespoons of evaporated milk to the soup, a trick I learned from She Simmers. Once you have these ingredients, you will have the best bowl of homemade tom yum you’ve ever tasted, I promise.
Other Thai Recipes You Might Like:
Recipe Pairing Ideas
Thai Shrimp Cake
Pad Thai
Thai Minced Chicken Salad
More Delicious Recipes
Rad Na
Lemongrass Shrimp
Thai Shrimp and Pineapple Curry
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Emily
This looks great, I love making soup in the winter.
Two questions though… Is this enough for one person? Also, I’d be nervous about saving shrimp heads. How do you store them and for how long?
Thanks.
Laura Lee
You use the shrimp heads immediately to make the stock, so no worries there! This recipe is more than enough for 2 people. Just tried it tonight and it came out perfect!
Rasa Malaysia
Thanks Laura. yes, this Tom Yum Goong recipe is soooo good!
Jesse R.
You can freeze fresh shrimp heads for a few weeks quite safely, but you’re better off boiling the shrimp heads and shells immediately to make the shrimp stock. Extra shrimp stock can be kept for a few months if frozen.
We eat a lot of shrimp in other recipes, so I like to make shrimp stock to keep in my freezer for future Tom Tum.
Craftpassion
Wow, what a delicious-mouth-watering Tom Yam!!! After seeing your picture, my stomach is drumming at this time of hour – MIDNIGHT!!!! Lucky me that I can just go out to a road side store to order one, and not have to cook!!!
tigerfish
Your Tom Yum soup full of udang! And the soup base looks very thick – must be darn good!
Sapuche
Your Tom Yum Goong looks great. So many goong in that bowl! I really appreciate having this recipe, and also the advice to save prawn heads. I agree that good food brightens any gloomy day, and this recipe definitely looks like it would do the trick. Thanks for sharing this!
Emily
This looks great, I love making soup in the winter.
Two questions though… Is this enough for one person? Also, I’d be nervous about saving shrimp heads. How do you store them and for how long?
Thanks.
Matt Wright
Fabulous stuff – what a great, great looking bowl of food.
Elaine
That looks extremely good. Your tom yum broth looks so lemak! If i could only reach…through…the…screen…..
:P
CCC
You truly have an eye for photography! Your dishes “jump” out at us through the blog!
Sorry to put a damper though … I would suggest that you put one of those “transparent-nish” watermark right across your photos. Identifying Rasa Malaysia at the bottom of the photo would still allow for copyright thefts since that portion can be easily cropped off.
You may also want to check out photo-sites like Flickr. They are able to have photos uploaded in their site, yet viewers are unable to copy the photos.
StickyGooeyCreamyChewy
This soup looks so wonderful! It is a favorite of mine whenever I’m at a Thai restaurant. I’ll have to try my hand at making some for myself. I even have a bag of shrimp shells in my freezer!
Lulu Barbarian
I’m so glad to finally learn how to make this soup! Now I won’t have to always get it from a restaurant.
RecipeGirl
I see you’ve added a copyright to your pics! Good! I have to agree with CCC though- the watermark needs to be typed across part of your food photo or it can still be stolen (I know… it takes away from the beauty of the photo, but it’s sometimes necessary to protect). Lovely dish!
Bex
Oooo how about one on Laksa Johor, if you haven’t posted a recipe already….
Zlamushka
Adore Tom Yam Goong. I have been reading thorugh your open letters to the Blog Pic Stealers and it is horrible that this is happening. I am sorry to hear that your adorable pictures are being kidnapped and victimised :-(
Laura [What I Like]
I actually was just looking in my freezer the other night and was trying to figure out what on earth to do with my shrimp stock…what serendipity!
Lingzie
Looks like a great recipe! i’ve never attempted to make tom yum on my own… need to go look for nam prik pao in penang! :)
My Taste Heaven
Great tomyam… the prawns are big and delicious!
Clandestine Diner
Mmm! Pair it with a bottle of Belgian Tripel and I am so there. It would bring out all the magical elements that the kaffir lime leaves and lemon grass bring to the soup.
ChichaJo
You rock for making tom yum from scratch! :) I love this…especially when it is spicy enough to make me sniffle! I’ll start saving shrimp heads now…
TikiPundit
Looks great, as with all photography you do.
Hmmm, reminds me… you should watermark your photos across the center, so thieving “chefs” can’t thieve your good work and effort! :)
Uddawise, next t’ing ya know, dis gonna be some kind Chef Al original!!
Sue Me
You might want to watermark your picture a lil higher than that. Chef Rosas might crop away the watermark and eventually steal pics again.
Btw, awesome tomyum recipe thanks :)
NYMY
Is it me, or I just find tom yum better outside of Thailand? Tom yam in Malaysia and tom yum in U.S. are just yummier. Why is that? I’ve been to Bangkok several times, and each time, I will ask local Thais where to get a good bowl of tom yum gai. Each time, I must say I am disappointed :(
Nyonya Chef
Yum! Yum!I can feel the sourness & spiciness.
MyF
Oh noooo… Tom Yum is my favourite! This looks extremely delicious… gimme some!
F+E
Me and my luv very luv tom yam…
vivi
HI,
How can i make the shrimp stock? coudnt seem to find in your post.
Can you reply to my email add. Many thanks .
cheers
Mrs Ergül
I have only cooked the white soup base Tom Yum Goong before. But I have received a small jar of chili paste from my Thai counterpart and I shall put it to good use with this recipe! Thanks!
Forager
Thanks for recipe! I love tom yum so I’ll have to start saving prawn heads for this recipe… :)
Mr Stone
hi ,
i have been trying to find out how many people your recipe serves?
please help asap , we are making this for 4 people for dinner in a few hours !!!
kind thanks
Rasa Malaysia
My recipe serves two people.
simplythai
This is really delicious soup!!! actually the problem is no to cook it, but to collect all these ingredients! I used to buy ingredients in Thailand when I go there for vacation. But now I’ve run out of my stock, and order all the ingredients online through thai tom yum shop! I use this one: Tom Yum recipe .com, but you can google your own favorite tom yum shop))
and where do you get ingredients?
Lynn
Is there any other brand you’d recommend?Your Tom Yum Goong looks yummy.
Tom Yum Soup
Tom Yum is one of my favorite Thai dishes, I think it highlights the culture perfectly and provides the perfect blend of spice and flavor; what Thai cooking is all about! I love the recipe you’ve used here; Tom Yum is delicious with chicken or shrimp/prawns; gotta leave those heads on though!
Zeenath Rahim
Bee yours is the one news letter I look for every time I open my mail. Fabulous recipes, excellent photography & write ups that always make a good read.
As the imported ready made Thai pastes available in my country are all of indifferent quality, I am sure your fans would appreciate recipes for Thai Chilli pastes (nam prik pao) & other Thai curry pastes that we can make from scratch. I am sure flavour & quality will be far superior to ready made ones. Thanks
Alun k
Made everything according to the recipe, soup itself is ok untill u start eating it with steamed rice, something is missing, the flavout is not as rich as in restaurant’s soup:( dissapointed:(
Rasa Malaysia
Did you use Thai roasted chili paste? If you want richer taste, use more fish sauce and roasted chili paste.
Claud Yeiser
I am looking to make this and have a question:
Would fresh ginger be a suitable substitute for Galangal? I don’t recall seeing it anywhere locally.
Thank you for any updates/replies.
Claud
Rasa Malaysia
Ginger and galangal are completely different. If you can’t find galangal, just skip it.
Beth Ramsay
Does the recipe require fresh galangal or dried?
Rasa Malaysia
Fresh, always fresh.
Suzy @ The Mediterranean Dish
I am so glad I found this recipe for Tom Yum soup! Much like you, I am not a fan of the cold weather, and I love a bowl of hot Tom Yum soup to warm me up. I have not attempted making it before, mostly because we have a great little Thai restaurant nearby.
Will soon be making it.
Holly
I just made this and I know this soup is supposed to be very spicy but I found it was much more intense heat-wise than when I have had it in restaurants. I did use Fried Chili Oil in place of the nam prik pao. Do you think this would be the reason? Thank you!
Rasa Malaysia
You can’t use fried chili oil to replace nam prik pao, they are completely different.
zeh
I love your blog. I tried some of your recipes and i love them. I have one question, im not so familiar with tom yam soup, but i noticed that other recipes on google has other kinds of seafood. If i want to use your recipe, is there any adjustment if i want to add other kinds of seafoods? Thanks a lot
Rasa Malaysia
Yes you can!
jane
i thought theres tomato in tom yum? Does it really matter? Thanks :)
Gordon Hogan
This comment has nothing to do with any recipe. It’s about the advertising.
The woman who presents “Ending a Relationship” is turning your site from what could be a first class site into one that is second or third rate. Besides what does this video have to do with cooking??? ZILCH, NOTHING NA NA.
You must be paid a large sum of money to put up with this video. It creates unbelievable delays.
Rasa Malaysia
Hi Gordon, I am sorry about the experience. Could you send me a screenshot? I don’t see what you see.
Andy
Is there a your version of homemade recipes for Nam Prik Pao?
Also, what are your Favourite Brand for fish sauce, and Shrimp paste
Rasa Malaysia
Andy – I don’t have a nam prik pao recipe but you can check it out here: http://shesimmers.com/2011/03/nam-prik-pao-recipe-%E0%B8%99%E0%B9%89%E0%B8%B3%E0%B8%9E%E0%B8%A3%E0%B8%B4%E0%B8%81%E0%B9%80%E0%B8%9C%E0%B8%B2-thai-chilli-jam.html
For fish sauce, I use three crab brand or Red Boat. No preference for Shrimp Paste.
yudi saputro
I like tom yum..
I have any quoestion, whats the meaning of bird’s eye chili?
Rasa Malaysia
Thai chilies.
Agatha Prilly F
it looks spicy but I like it!
Elizabeth Spangenberg
If I needed to tone down on the spiciness what would you suggest – I love Tom Yum Goong and going to make it tomorrow night i have spicy issues but
I LOVE THIS SOUP!!! ? Help♡
Thanks ♡ Liz
Rasa Malaysia
You can skip the bird’s eye chili.
Pinky
Hello! What can I use in place of Thai roasted chili paste? Can I substitute with Thai red curry paste or birds eye chili? Thanks.
Pinky
Hello! What can I use in place of Thai roasted red chili and the nam oil? Can I just increase birds eye chili and add sesame oil? If not could you please recommend some substitutions. Thanks.
Rasa Malaysia
You can just use bird’s eye chilies and skip the chili paste, but don’t use sesame oil.
BRANDY R STONER
Oops. I added 2 tbsp sesame oil. How do I fix it?
Rasa Malaysia
Hmm, you can’t. Sesame oil will completely change the taste. There is no oil in Tom Yum Goong other than chili oil from the nam prik pao.
Pinky
Hello! Can the Thai roasted chili paste and oil be mutually substituted? I have limited pantry space and don’t want to buy two of the same things for one dish and then have it sitting around. Should I buy the paste or the oil? Thanks for the help.
Rasa Malaysia
The oil is inside the paste. It’s the same thing.
Jina Allen
Hi,
Where is the best place to find the ingredients? I’ve never heard of some and my experience with Thai food is limited. This recipe looks delicious
JinA
Rasa Malaysia
You will need to find them at Asian food stores.
Diana
I made your recipe this week and it was absolutely delicious. Had to order all my Thai aromatics online as our little town has none of them. Now I gave my stash in my freezer to make this soup again and again! Totally yummy!
Rasa Malaysia
Yay Diane, yes this is probably the best Tom Yum Goong recipe you will find online! :)
thai simple soup boy
my god how stupid are some of these comments, cmon its a simple soup,nice soup
Chris
This recipe sounds really good, but can you please tell how to devein prawns with the head, shell and tail still on?
Rasa Malaysia
Just cut through the shell of the shrimp and devein as usual.