Thai · Soup · Easy
Tom Yum Goong
The hot and sour shrimp soup that put Thai food on the world map. Bright, fiery, and deeply aromatic.
The whole recipe in 60 seconds
Tom Yum Goong, in 5 ideas
- Smash, do not slice, the aromatics. Bruising the lemongrass and tearing the lime leaves releases their oils. They are flavoring, not eating; fish them out or warn your guests.
- The shell stock is worth 10 minutes. It turns a good soup into a great one. If you are truly in a rush, skip it, but do not skip it twice.
- Balance is everything. Tom yum should make your mouth water from sour, then warm from chile, then crave another spoonful. Adjust fish sauce, lime, and sugar until all three sing.
- Nam prik pao adds richness. The roasted chili paste gives the broth a deeper red color and a smoky sweetness. Traditional in many versions, optional in others.
- Serve it screaming hot. This soup is all about the aromatic steam hitting your face. Have bowls ready and serve the moment the shrimp are done.
What you need
Ingredients
- 1 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined (save the shells)
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 3 stalks lemongrass, smashed and cut into 2 inch pieces
- 4 slices galangal (or ginger in a pinch)
- 5 kaffir lime leaves, torn
- 3 Thai chiles, smashed
- 1 cup straw mushrooms, halved (or button mushrooms)
- 3 tbsp fish sauce
- 3 tbsp lime juice, plus lime wedges to serve
- 1 tsp sugar
- 2 tbsp Thai chili paste in oil (nam prik pao), optional
- Cilantro leaves, to serve
How to make it
Directions
- Simmer the shrimp shells in the chicken stock for 10 minutes to make a quick shell stock. Strain and discard the shells. This adds real depth.
- Add the lemongrass, galangal, lime leaves, and chiles to the stock. Simmer 5 minutes until the broth smells intensely aromatic.
- Add the mushrooms and simmer 3 minutes until tender.
- Add the shrimp and cook just until pink and curled, about 2 minutes. Do not overcook or they turn rubbery.
- Off the heat, stir in the fish sauce, lime juice, sugar, and chili paste if using. The lime goes in last and off the heat so it stays bright.
- Taste and adjust: it should hit sour first, then salty, then heat, with the aromatics humming underneath. Serve immediately with cilantro and extra lime.
Lime juice goes in off the heat. Boiling dulls its brightness. Stir it in at the very end and the soup stays electric and fresh tasting.