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Delicious and warming, Tom Yum Soup is a classic Thai soup that is best known for its clear, sour broth infused with lemongrass and galangal. Make this vegetarian with tofu, or add shrimp or chicken!

Tom Yum Soup Recipe

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 6 reviews
  • Author: Tonia Schemmel | Feasting at Home
  • Prep Time: 20
  • Cook Time: 20
  • Total Time: 40 minutes
  • Yield: 4
  • Category: Soup
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: Thai
  • Diet: Vegetarian

Description

Delicious and warming, Tom Yum Soup is a classic Thai soup that is best known for its clear, sour broth infused with lemongrass and galangal. Make this vegetarian with tofu, or add shrimp or chicken!


Ingredients

Units
  • 10 oz shrimp, chicken breast or crispy tofu ( see notes)
  • 4 cups veggie broth, chicken stock or shrimp stock.
  • 1 cup water
  • 2 lemongrass stalks, cut into 34 inch pieces, smashed to release oils
  • 24 slices galangal, lightly smashed
  • 26 kaffir lime leaves, squeezed or roughly torn for extra release of oils and flavors.
  • 1/4 cup cilantro stems, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
  • 12 tablespoons Thai Chili Paste. Look for Thai Nam Prik Pao , roasted chilli sambal or sub-red curry paste or Sambal Olek
  • 1 1/2 cups mushrooms- we used shiitake, sliced in halves
  • 1/2 cup shallot, sliced long and thin
  • 1/2 cup fresh tomato, sliced into 1 1/2-inch pieces
  • 22 1/2 tablespoons fish sauce. Adjust with more at the end
  • 2-3 tablespoons tamarind concentrate or lime juice
  • fresh chilies, for spicy
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves


Instructions

  1. Make the broth by combining stock, water lemongrass, galangal, kaffir leaves, and cilantro stems in a large soup pot. Add the mushrooms, and bring everything to a boil on medium-high heat then simmer around 10 minutes.
  2. Add shallots, tomatoes and the Thai chili paste, fish sauce, and sugar. Stir well.
  3. Add the shrimp (or tofu or chicken) and let them cook for 3-5 minutes or until cooked through. 
  4. Add tamarind (or lime juice)  last, and turn the heat off. Taste and adjust with more fish sauce or salt and lime juice.
  5. Garnish with a generous amount of cilantro and lime wedges


Notes

  • If making crispy tofu- cook according to this post: Crispy Tofu  (with salt and pepper) and set aside. Use firm tofu for this recipe to keep the tofu from breaking. Add at the end.
  • If using chicken breast, slice it thinly (no more than 1/4 inch thick) and drop it in the soup broth raw; bring the broth to a simmer; chicken is done when opaque throughout- feel free to test a piece. 
  •  Make sure to add tamarind and lime juice at the very end, or your soup will turn bitter. When cooked too long at high heat, tamarind and lime juice will taste bitter and unpleasant in recipes. 
  • Check the ingredients on the chili paste you use and taste the broth before adding the sugar. Skip the sugar entirely if your chili paste adds enough sweetness to your soup. 
  • You can make a flavorful shrimp broth by simmering shrimp shells (and heads) in water. 

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 cup
  • Calories: 175
  • Sugar: 8.5 g
  • Sodium: 1452.1 mg
  • Fat: 3.8 g
  • Saturated Fat: 0.5 g
  • Carbohydrates: 17.7 g
  • Fiber: 3.6 g
  • Protein: 9.2 g
  • Cholesterol: 0 mg