Tom Yum Soup (Printable Version)

Aromatic Thai-style soup with lemongrass, lime, chiles, and shrimp. Perfectly balanced flavors ready in 35 minutes.

# What You Need:

→ Broth Base

01 - 4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
02 - 2 stalks lemongrass, trimmed and smashed
03 - 4 kaffir lime leaves, torn
04 - 3 slices galangal or ginger
05 - 2 Thai bird's eye chiles, sliced

→ Vegetables and Aromatics

06 - 7 ounces mushrooms, sliced
07 - 2 medium tomatoes, cut into wedges
08 - 1 small onion, sliced
09 - 3 cloves garlic, smashed

→ Protein

10 - 10 ounces shrimp, peeled and deveined or tofu

→ Seasonings and Finish

11 - 3 tablespoons fish sauce or soy sauce
12 - 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
13 - 1 teaspoon sugar
14 - 1 teaspoon chili paste
15 - Fresh cilantro leaves for garnish
16 - 2 green onions, sliced
17 - Lime wedges for serving

# Directions:

01 - In a medium pot, bring stock to a gentle boil. Add lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, galangal, chiles, garlic, and onion. Simmer for 10 minutes to extract aromatic flavors.
02 - Add sliced mushrooms and tomato wedges to the pot. Cook for 5 minutes until mushrooms are tender.
03 - Add shrimp or tofu and simmer until shrimp turn pink and cook through, approximately 2 to 3 minutes.
04 - Stir in fish sauce, lime juice, sugar, and chili paste. Taste and adjust seasoning for saltiness, sourness, and heat to preference.
05 - Remove from heat. Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with cilantro and green onions. Serve with lime wedges.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It balances four distinct flavors so perfectly that every spoonful feels like a discovery.
  • The prep is surprisingly fast once you have your aromatics ready to go.
02 -
  • Do not actually eat the large pieces of lemongrass or galangal because they are strictly for infusion.
  • Adding the lime juice while the soup is boiling can sometimes make it taste slightly bitter.
03 -
  • Freeze your leftover galangal and lime leaves so you can make this on a whim any night.
  • If the soup is too spicy a small swirl of coconut milk can transform it into the creamy version.
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