Spicy Tom Yum Soup (Print Version)

A vibrant Thai broth featuring shrimp, lemongrass, lime, and chili with a hot and sour balance.

# What You'll Need:

→ Broth Base

01 - 4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
02 - 2 stalks fresh lemongrass, trimmed and smashed
03 - 4 kaffir lime leaves, torn into pieces
04 - 3 slices fresh galangal (or ginger if unavailable)
05 - 2 sliced Thai bird's eye chilies (adjust to heat preference)

→ Main Ingredients

06 - 9 oz large shrimp, peeled and deveined
07 - 5 oz white mushrooms, sliced
08 - 2 medium tomatoes, cut into wedges
09 - 1 small onion, sliced
10 - 2 tablespoons fish sauce
11 - 1 tablespoon lime juice, plus more to taste
12 - 1 teaspoon sugar
13 - 1 teaspoon chili paste (nam prik pao), optional
14 - Salt to taste

→ Garnishes

15 - Fresh cilantro leaves
16 - Sliced green onions
17 - Extra lime wedges

# How To Make It:

01 - Bring stock to a simmer over medium heat in a medium pot. Add lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, galangal, and sliced chilies. Simmer for 5 to 7 minutes to release flavors.
02 - Add mushrooms, tomatoes, and sliced onion to the pot. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes until vegetables soften.
03 - Add shrimp and cook until they turn pink and opaque, about 2 to 3 minutes.
04 - Stir in fish sauce, lime juice, sugar, and optional chili paste. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional fish sauce, lime juice, or salt as desired.
05 - Remove from heat. Discard lemongrass and galangal slices if preferred. Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with fresh cilantro, sliced green onions, and extra lime wedges.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It comes together in 35 minutes but tastes like you've been simmering it for hours.
  • The balance of hot, sour, and aromatic is addictive—each spoonful wakes up your palate.
  • One pot means less cleanup, more time to enjoy the magic happening in your bowl.
02 -
  • Don't skip smashing the lemongrass—it's the difference between a soup that smells faintly herbal and one that actually tastes like tom yum.
  • Fish sauce is polarizing, but it's the non-negotiable backbone of this soup; start with what the recipe calls for and adjust only after you taste it.
  • Kaffir lime leaves are worth hunting down—they have a complexity that regular lime juice alone can never replicate.
03 -
  • Prep everything before you start cooking—lemongrass smashed, limes cut, shrimp deveined—so you're never fumbling while the broth simmers.
  • Buy the biggest, brightest limes you can find; small or dull limes often taste less vibrant, and vibrant is what this soup needs to shine.
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