At first sip of this Thai tom yum soup, you'll be overcome by the intoxicating flavors of lemongrass, garlic, lime, coconut milk, and chile combined with a chicken stock base and topped off with shrimp. If you like spice, we recommend either fresh red chiles or getting yourself a bottle of chile oil and adding anywhere from a few drops to a few teaspoons. Or leave the chile out for a terrific mild tom yum.
Serve tom yum soup as is for a flavorful appetizer or with steamed white rice or sticky rice as a main dish. You can either place some rice in a bowl and serve the soup on top or serve the rice on the side.
what you'll need to make this tom yum recipe
A Nice Heavy Pot
A Good Microplane
A Handy Dandy Garlic Press
"This soup was a winner. I ended up adding extra fish sauce and coconut milk, and the broth was wonderful. Makrut lime leaves are difficult to find, but you might find an online source. I used fresh bay leaves, but plan to find makrut lime leaves for next time I make it." —Diana Rattray
A Note From Our Recipe Tester
Ingredients
6cupschicken stock
1stalklemongrass, lower third finely minced, top bulb smashed and bound with twine
1carrot, thickly sliced
4clovesgarlic, minced
3tablespoons minced onion
2tablespoons grated galangal or ginger
3makrut limeleaves (or bay leaves and long strip of lime zest)
1 1/2tablespoons plus 1 teaspoonfish sauce, divided
1/2tablespoonsoy sauce
1teaspoonlime juice or lemon juice
1 to 2cupsshiitake mushrooms, stems removed
1smallzucchini, sliced into half-moons
12 to 14medium raw shrimp (or 8 to 10 large), shells left on or removed
Pour the stock into a deep cooking pot over medium-high heat. Add the prepared lemongrass, including the upper sections of the stalk you didn't mince. Boil 5 to 6 minutes to soften.
Add carrot, garlic, onion, galangal or ginger, lime leaves, 1 1/2 tablespoons of the fish sauce, soy sauce, and lime juice. Reduce heat slightly, cover, and continue simmering 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and zucchini, and continue simmering another 5 minutes.
Add shrimp and cherry tomatoes. Cook 3 minutes or until shrimp are pink and plump.
Turn down the heat to low and add 1/4 can coconut milk, chile oil, and brown sugar and red pepper flakes to taste (if using). Add the remaining teaspoon of fish sauce or more chile oil to taste. Discard the lime or bay leaves and the zest, if using. Serve with fresh cilantro sprinkled over and enjoy.
While they can be messy to remove while eating, leaving the shells on shrimp adds infinitely more flavor to the soup. In Thailand, cooks sometimes remove the shells before cooking but add them to the soup, removing just before eating.
Recipe Variations
If you want to add some spice to your tom yum soup, we recommend adding chile oil, fresh chile, or chile flakes.
If this tom yum soup is too sour for your taste, add a little brown sugar.
If it turned out too salty, add a squeeze of lime juice.
Add more coconut milk if you want your soup richer/creamier or if it's too strong for your taste.
What Is the Difference Between Tom Kha and Tom Yum?
Tom kha is another classic Thai soup made with fragrant broth. Tom kha typically contains chicken and almost always includes coconut milk, while tom yum usually includes shrimp and can be made without coconut milk.
Is Tom Yum Soup Healthy?
Flavored with aromatics and filled with vegetables and lean shrimp, tom yum is a healthy option for lunch or dinner. To make this soup lighter, use low-fat coconut milk or omit it altogether. More vegetables can also be used in place of the shrimp. Use low-sodium soy sauce to reduce the amount of salt.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
183
Calories
8g
Fat
19g
Carbs
10g
Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4to 6
Amount per serving
Calories
183
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 8g
10%
Saturated Fat 5g
24%
Cholesterol 25mg
8%
Sodium 866mg
38%
Total Carbohydrate 19g
7%
Dietary Fiber 2g
6%
Total Sugars 6g
Protein 10g
Vitamin C 9mg
47%
Calcium 48mg
4%
Iron 3mg
15%
Potassium 683mg
15%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)
Originated in Thailand, this is sometimes called Tom Yam and is a soup that normally includes shrimp in a hot and sour serving. The words Tom Yam mean “boiling” or “hot” and “spicy and sour” which perfectly describes this soup. As a staple Thai dish, this famous Tom Yum Goong is served in Thai Square.
Tom yum goong maybe the most famous soup of Thailand, but its milder creamier sister, tom kha gai, is my personal favourite. This comforting Thai coconut chicken soup recipe is infused with the classic Thai herbs: lemongrass, galangal, and makrut (kaffir) lime leaves.
There are two different types of Tom Yum soup. The original Tom Yum is a clear soup called Tom Yum Nam Sai.The later version, which is commonly seen and widely adored, is a vibrant-coloured, richer and creamier soup called Tom Yum Nam Khon as it has roasted chilli paste, evaporated milk or coconut cream added to it.
What Does Tom Yum Soup Taste Like? The flavor of tom yum should be sour upfront from lime juice, then salty from fish sauce, with a mild sweetness from nam prik pao paste. You might not be able to necessarily taste the lemongrass and makrut lime leaves, but these aromatics should hit your nose while you slurp.
It's a healthy pick. Tom yum has fewer than 100 calories per cup. It also has shrimp, veggies, and fragrant spices, such as lemongrass. Tom yum and other broth-based soups, like tofu-vegetable or wonton, are usually lower in fat and calories than soups made with coconut milk, such as tom kha.
Spicy and sour are two common flavours in Thai food, and Tom Yum Goong is definitely a spicy and sour soup. The different kinds of herbs and spice that each Thai restaurant used enrich the spiciness and sourness of their version of Tom Yum Goong. This is why most people around the world enjoy Tom Yum Goong.
While it's perfectly acceptable to eat tom yum soup on its own with some jasmine rice, in Thailand it's typically part of a bigger meal. Since the soup is light and tart, we want to pair it with something dry and/or rich: Vietnamese caramel chicken is a sweet-salty dish that would go perfectly with tom yum.
Tom yum soup has a wide variety of herbs and spices which work synergistically to make you feel better. This includes: Lemongrass: an herb that is high in vitamins A and B, fights inflammation, and can relieve a cough or upset stomach. It is good for fever, headache, and muscle pains.
The tom yum soup can be stored in the refrigerator for two days and then it can be reheated in low microwave temperatures gently. The prawns and shrimps have to be necessarily taken out while refrigerating and should be added only after reheating as the heating process might overcook the prawns and shrimps.
The words “tom yum” are derived from two Thai words: “tom” and “yam”. “Tom” refers to boiling process, while “yam” refers to a kind of Lao and Thai spicy and sour salad. Thus, “tom yum” is a Lao and Thai hot and sour soup and is indeed the most famous Thai soup.
Health Benefits: Tom Yum soup is made with a variety of fresh herbs and spices that are known for their health benefits. Lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, and galangal are all used in the soup and have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.
Tom Yum is often considered the national dish of Thailand. It is eaten everywhere by everyone. It is a staple meal in Thai culture, and is a firm favourite with tourists as well. Tom Yum is usually ordered with shrimp (Tom Yum Kung), but can also be made with other types of seafood, chicken, pork, or even tofu.
Tom kha is a Thai soup that originated around 1890 and was first recorded in a Thai recipe book. The earliest recorded version of the soup was called Tom kha pet, and it featured duck and young galangal in a coconut milk-based curry.
The Thai word for “boil” or tom (pronounced “dtome”) features prominently on Thai menus and tom yum goong is probably one of the most famous Thai dishes in the world.
Introduction: My name is The Hon. Margery Christiansen, I am a bright, adorable, precious, inexpensive, gorgeous, comfortable, happy person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
We notice you're using an ad blocker
Without advertising income, we can't keep making this site awesome for you.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/tom-yum-soup-best-3217653-Hero_01-1bf2ac7948fc407c97db9ee2d1aa2b9b.jpg "This Tom Yum Soup Is a Thai Classic (1)")
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/tom-yum-soup-best-3217653-d-rattray-20201-2f6c99aacea74fca88b9681d05d36ced.jpg "This Tom Yum Soup Is a Thai Classic (5)")
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/tom-yum-soup-best-3217653-Step_01-0d4f48efa80a4b92b94d69bc25e04741.jpg "This Tom Yum Soup Is a Thai Classic (6)")
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/tom-yum-soup-best-3217653-Step_02-f403e20cde874ba2be250662afc229fb.jpg "This Tom Yum Soup Is a Thai Classic (7)")
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/tom-yum-soup-best-3217653-Step_03-3c2070aeb57b4d319e7f66b56bb639ca.jpg "This Tom Yum Soup Is a Thai Classic (8)")
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/tom-yum-soup-best-3217653-Step_04-172d77bc9332421e9e4ecd4639a8fb7b.jpg "This Tom Yum Soup Is a Thai Classic (9)")
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/tom-yum-soup-best-3217653-Step_05-ecb3c0ddc65144a8bce2ba3aeca04509.jpg "This Tom Yum Soup Is a Thai Classic (10)")
