Spicy Tom Yum Soup (Printable View)

A bold Thai broth with shrimp, lemongrass, lime, and chili for a flavorful, aromatic dish.

# What You'll Need:

→ Broth Base

01 - 4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
02 - 2 stalks fresh lemongrass, trimmed and smashed
03 - 4 kaffir lime leaves, torn into pieces
04 - 3 slices fresh galangal (or ginger if unavailable)
05 - 2 Thai bird’s eye chilies, sliced (adjust to heat preference)

→ Main Ingredients

06 - 9 oz large shrimp, peeled and deveined
07 - 5 oz white mushrooms, sliced
08 - 2 medium tomatoes, cut into wedges
09 - 1 small onion, sliced
10 - 2 tablespoons fish sauce
11 - 1 tablespoon lime juice, plus more to taste
12 - 1 teaspoon sugar
13 - 1 teaspoon chili paste (nam prik pao), optional
14 - Salt to taste

→ Garnishes

15 - Fresh cilantro leaves
16 - Sliced green onions
17 - Extra lime wedges

# How To Make It:

01 - Bring stock to a simmer in a medium pot over medium heat. Add lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, galangal, and chilies. Simmer for 5 to 7 minutes to develop flavors.
02 - Incorporate mushrooms, tomatoes, and onion into the broth. Cook until vegetables soften, approximately 3 to 4 minutes.
03 - Add shrimp to the pot and cook until they turn pink and opaque, about 2 to 3 minutes.
04 - Stir in fish sauce, lime juice, sugar, and optional chili paste. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional fish sauce, lime juice, or salt as preferred.
05 - Remove from heat. If desired, discard lemongrass stalks and galangal slices. Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with cilantro, green onions, and extra lime wedges.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It comes together faster than you'd think, turning humble ingredients into something that tastes like you spent hours on it.
  • The broth is so clean and bright that you'll want to sip it straight from the bowl, no apologies needed.
  • There's built-in flexibility—dial the heat up or down, swap in tofu, use whatever mushrooms you have on hand.
02 -
  • Don't skip the infusing step—those 5 to 7 minutes of simmering aromatics are what separate tom yum from hot broth with stuff in it.
  • Fish sauce is polarizing, but it's non-negotiable here; it's the invisible hand that makes everything taste right.
  • Lime juice changes the entire character of the soup, so taste as you go and adjust at the end rather than adding it all at once.
03 -
  • Buy the best shrimp you can find—frozen is fine, but thaw them properly so they cook evenly and stay tender.
  • Smash the lemongrass with the back of your knife before adding it; it releases far more flavor than leaving it whole.
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