Tom Yum Soup

Tom Yum Goong is Thailand's signature hot-and-sour soup, built on a fragrant broth of lemongrass, galangal, and kaffir lime leaves, spiked with chile paste and fresh lime juice, and loaded with plump shrimp and mushrooms. It's aggressively sour, spicy, and aromatic all at once.

By YumYum Editorial · Thai

Prep: 25 min · Cook: 35 min · Total: 60 min · Serves 4

Ingredients

• 6 cups chicken or shrimp stock
• 1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined, shells reserved
• 3 stalks lemongrass, smashed and cut into 2-inch pieces
• 5 slices galangal
• 6 kaffir lime leaves, torn
• 4 Thai bird's eye chiles, smashed
• 2 cups straw mushrooms or button mushrooms, halved
• 3 tbsp nam prik pao (Thai chile paste)
• 4 tbsp fish sauce
• 4 tbsp lime juice
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/4 cup cilantro leaves, for garnish

Instructions

1. Simmer stock with shrimp shells for 10 minutes to deepen flavor, then strain and discard shells.
2. Return strained stock to the pot and add lemongrass, galangal, kaffir lime leaves, and chiles.
3. Simmer the aromatics for 5-8 minutes until the broth is fragrant.
4. Stir in nam prik pao until dissolved, turning the broth reddish-orange.
5. Add mushrooms and cherry tomatoes, simmering 3-4 minutes until mushrooms soften.
6. Add shrimp and cook just until they turn pink and opaque, about 2-3 minutes.
7. Remove from heat and stir in fish sauce and lime juice — add lime last so its brightness doesn't cook off.
8. Taste and adjust with more lime for sour, fish sauce for salt, or chile paste for depth.
9. Ladle into bowls and garnish with cilantro; the lemongrass and galangal are aromatics, not meant to be eaten.