Tom Yum Soup (Best and Authentic!)
This Tom Yum soup recipe is one of my all-time favorites to make at home! It’s the perfect mix of spicy, sour, and aromatic flavors from lemongrass, galangal, kaffir lime leaves, and chilies. Add in some shrimp and mushrooms, and you’ve got a comforting, flavorful bowl of Thai goodness that’s sure to hit the spot!
Servings: 2 people
Ingredients
- 3 cups water reduced to 2 1/2 cups
- 12 oz. (350g) shrimp head-on and shell on or tiger prawn, head and shells peeled and deveined
- 1 stalk lemongrass cut into 3-inch (7cm) strips, pounded with a cleaver
- 3 slices galangal
- 6 kaffir lime leave bruised
- 6 Thai chilies bird's eye chilies, pounded
- 6 fresh oyster mushrooms cut into pieces
- 2 tablespoons nam prik pao Thai roasted chili paste
- 2 tablespoons nam prik pao oil
- 3 teaspoons fish sauce
- 3 1/2 tablespoons lime juice
- cilantro leaves, for garnishing, optional
Instructions
- In a pot, bring 3 cups of water to boil. Add the shrimp heads and shells to make shrimp stock. Boil until the water turns slightly orange. Press the shrimp heads with a spatula to extract the juice from the heads. Simmer and let the stock reduce to 2 1/2 cups. Drain the shrimp stock and discard the shrimp heads and shells.
- Turn the heat to high and add the lemongrass, galangal, kaffir lime leaves, bird’s eye chilies, mushroom, nam prik pao, and nam prik pao oil to the shrimp stock.
- Bring it to a rolling boil before adding in the shrimp and fish sauce. Boil until the shrimp is cooked, then add the lime juice.
- Serve the soup in a bowl and garnish with cilantro leaves (optional).
Video
Notes
- The best Tom Yum starts with a rich shrimp stock, which I make by boiling shrimp heads and shells in water. This step really brings out that deep, savory flavor that’s as close as you can get to what you’d find at a Thai restaurant. If I don’t have shrimp heads, I’ll use canned chicken stock, but I make sure to pump up the flavor with extra herbs and seasonings.
- One ingredient you definitely can’t skip is nam prik pao, or Thai roasted chili paste. You can grab it at any Thai or Asian store, and it’s essential for that authentic taste. Don’t forget about the aromatics—galangal, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, and Thai or bird’s eye chilies—they’re the heart of the soup.
- I always add lime juice at the end to preserve its fresh, zesty punch. If you add it too early, it can get bitter and overpower all the other amazing flavors we’ve built.
- For a creamier, Bangkok-style Tom Yum, I’ll add a few tablespoons of evaporated milk. Just remember—NO coconut milk for this recipe!
- I recommend tiger prawn over regular shrimp for this recipe, but the best is fresh water prawn.
Nutrition
Serving: 2people | Calories: 270kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 53mg | Sodium: 1402mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 7g