This Tom Yum Soup Recipe has all the flavor of the authentic version in Thailand: Sour, pungent, acidic and hot.
This tom yum soup recipe is from Vatcharin Bumichitr’s Thai street food cookbook. It’s my favorite tom yum soup (or yam) recipe because it’s authentic and reminds me of my days living in Bangkok. It’s there that I discovered all these wonderfully pungent yet harmonious flavors Thai cuisine has to offers. It’s also there that I thought I was catching on fire from all the incredibly hot and spicy food I ate daily! I did eventually get used to it and now crave spicy chili sauce and fresh chilies on a weekly basis. The red bell peppers are my ‘healthy ingredient’ for this tom yum recipe, known to minimize wrinkles (I might as well take care of my skin at the same time!) while being a great source of vitamin A. I’ve simplified some steps of the recipe to make it easier and less intimidating for those who aren’t familiar with Thai cuisine.
Plan a Thai dinner around this delicious tom yum soup recipe with easy Thai recipes such as Thai red curry, Thai basil chicken, spicy cucumber and shrimp salad or Thai fish sticks. If you are not too familiar with Thai ingredients, read my list of must have Thai ingredients, their taste, texture and how to use them. With this list you can make your own delicious Thai food all day long!
Did you like this Tom Yum Soup Recipe? Are there changes you made that you would like to share? Share your tips and recommendations in the comment section below!
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Tom Yum Soup
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Soup
- Method: Boiling
- Cuisine: Thai
- Diet: Low Calorie
Description
This Tom Yum Soup Recipe has all the flavor of the authentic version in Thailand: Sour, pungent, acidic and hot.
Ingredients
- 4 1/2 cups chicken stock
- 2 tablespoons tom yum sauce (recipe below)
- 4 leaves kaffir lime, finely chopped
- 1 4-inch piece lemongrass, roughly chopped
- 6 tablespoons lemon juice
- 6 tablespoons fish sauce
- 1 1/2 cup red bell pepper, finely sliced
- 3 or 4 fresh Thai chilies, roughly chopped
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 16 straw mushrooms, roughly chopped, or 8 button mushrooms
- 8 large shrimps, shelled and deveined
- lemon wedges, for garnish
Tom Yum Sauce
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 4 cloves garlic, sliced in half
- 4 shallots, roughly chopped
- 2 Thai chilies, roughly chopped
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon ground dried shrimps
Instructions
- Directions for tom yum sauce
- In a small pot, add oil, garlic, shallots and chilies and cook until garlic is golden brown (3-4 minutes). Turn the heat off and let the mixture cool in a bowl (don’t leave it in the pot as it will burn).
- Once the mixture has cooled, add to a mixer along with sugar, salt and ground shrimps. Blend until smooth or paste like.
- Directions for soup
- In a large saucepan, heat the stock with the tom yam sauce.
- Add the lime leaves, lemongrass, lemon juice, fish sauce, chilies, and sugar, then bring to a boil and simmer for two minutes. Stir in the mushrooms and shrimp and cook for a further two to three minutes, or until the shrimps are cooked through.
- Serve tom yum soup with fresh chiles and lemon wedges.
Notes
Tom yum soup is best enjoyed immediately. If you wish to save some for later, save the soup in a storage container and refrigerate for up to 2 days.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl
- Calories: 263
- Sugar: 14.9g
- Sodium: 2730mg
- Fat: 7.7g
- Saturated Fat: 3.8g
- Unsaturated Fat: 1g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 26g
- Fiber: 3.3g
- Protein: 25g
- Cholesterol: 99mg
