Tom Yum Soup Thai Classic (Printable Version)
Fiery Thai Tom Yum with lemongrass, shrimp, mushrooms, and zesty lime. Make vegetarian with tofu option.
# Ingredients:
→ Soup Base
01 -
950 ml vegetable broth, chicken stock, or shrimp stock
02 -
240 ml water
03 -
2 lemongrass stalks, cut into 8–10 cm pieces, smashed
04 -
2–4 slices galangal, lightly smashed
05 -
2–6 kaffir lime leaves, squeezed or roughly torn
06 -
15 g cilantro stems, cut into 1.5 cm pieces
→ Main Ingredients
07 -
280 g shrimp, thinly sliced chicken breast, or firm tofu, cooked crisp if desired
08 -
170 g shiitake mushrooms, halved
09 -
60 g shallot, thinly sliced lengthwise
10 -
90 g fresh tomato, sliced into 4 cm pieces
→ Seasonings
11 -
1–2 tablespoons Thai chili paste (Nam Prik Pao), roasted chilli sambal, or substitute with red curry paste or Sambal Olek
12 -
30–37 ml fish sauce, more to adjust
13 -
30–45 ml tamarind concentrate or lime juice
14 -
1 teaspoon sugar
15 -
fresh chilies, to taste
→ Garnish
16 -
15 g fresh cilantro leaves
17 -
lime wedges
# Steps:
01 -
Combine the stock, water, lemongrass, galangal, kaffir lime leaves, and cilantro stems in a large soup pot. Add the mushrooms and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then lower to a simmer for 10 minutes.
02 -
Add shallots, tomatoes, Thai chili paste, fish sauce, and sugar to the pot. Stir thoroughly to combine.
03 -
Introduce shrimp, chicken, or tofu to the broth and cook gently for 3–5 minutes, or until the protein is just cooked through.
04 -
Stir in the tamarind concentrate or lime juice and immediately take the pot off the heat. Taste and adjust with extra fish sauce, salt, or lime juice if necessary.
05 -
Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish generously with fresh cilantro leaves and lime wedges. Serve immediately.
# Notes:
01 -
For crispy tofu, prepare separately in advance and add just before serving for best texture.
02 -
Add tamarind and lime juice at the very end to avoid bitterness.
03 -
Check your chili paste for sweetness before adding sugar; skip sugar if paste is already sweet.
04 -
Make a robust shrimp broth by simmering shrimp shells and heads for extra depth.
05 -
If using chicken, slice thinly for even cooking and ensure it is opaque throughout before serving.