Tom Yum Soup (Printable)

Vibrant Thai soup with lemongrass, lime, and bold aromatic flavors in a sour-spicy broth.

# What You'll 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 for vegetarian option

→ Seasonings and Finish

11 - 3 tablespoons fish sauce or soy sauce for vegetarian
12 - 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
13 - 1 teaspoon sugar
14 - 1 teaspoon chili paste (nam prik pao), optional
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 allow flavors to fully infuse.
02 - Add mushrooms and tomatoes to the pot. Cook for 5 minutes until mushrooms are tender.
03 - Add shrimp or tofu and simmer just until shrimp turn pink and are cooked through, approximately 2 to 3 minutes.
04 - Stir in fish sauce, lime juice, sugar, and chili paste if using. Taste and adjust seasoning for salt, sourness, and heat as desired.
05 - Remove from heat. Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with cilantro and green onions. Serve with lime wedges on the side.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • This soup comes together in under 40 minutes but tastes like it simmered all day
  • You can customize everything from the protein to the heat level to make it yours
  • The balance of sour, spicy, salty, and savory is practically addictive
02 -
  • Don't boil the broth vigorously - gentle simmering keeps the flavors clean and prevents the shrimp from toughening
  • Fish sauce varies wildly in saltiness between brands, so always taste before adding more
  • The aromatics can be left in for rustic texture or strained out before serving for a cleaner soup
03 -
  • Keep your lemongrass stalks tied with kitchen twine so they're easier to fish out before serving
  • The soup actually tastes better the next day as flavors continue to develop
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