Thai Tom Yum Soup (Thai Hot and Sour Soup)
A comforting Tom Yum Goong recipe for a Thai spicy hot and sour soup made with shrimp, vegetables, and glass noodles to make it into a heartier more filling soup that can be eaten as a meal as well.
- Prep time
- 15 min
- Cook time
- 30 min
- Yield
- 2 servings
- Difficulty
- HARD
Ingredients
- 900 ml low sodium broth
- 1 cup water
- 2 stalk lemongrass ((smashed and cut into chunks))
- 8-10 kaffir lime leaves
- 2 inch galangal ((sliced))
- 1 medium onion ((roughly chopped or sliced))
- 2 clove garlic ((smashed and roughly chopped))
- 1 birds eye chili ((optional, see notes above))
- 1 tbsp Thai Chili Paste ((Nam Prik Pao, see notes above))
- 2-3 limes ((1/4 cup of lime juice, add more to adjust to taste))
- 3 tbsp fish sauce ((add more to adjust to taste))
- 3+1/2 tsp sugar ((add more to adjust to taste))
- 6-8 whole shrimp ((fully thawed if using frozen))
- 75 g dried bean thread noodles ((1 bundle, soaked in room temperature water))
- 1 handful mushrooms ((cremini or white))
- 1 handful snow peas ((tips removed))
- any type of green vegetable ((choy, peppers etc.))
- fresh tomato ((cut into chunks and added at the end))
- fresh pineapple chunks ((cooked during the shrimp cooking step))
- Thai basil ((as a fragrant garnish))
Instructions
- 1
(Optional if Adding Glass Noodles) Soak the glass noodles in room temperature water for 10 minutes and then drain and set aside.
- 2
Remove the first layer of the lemongrass and cut them into large chunks. Use the back of your knife or something blunt like a rolling pin to smash it to release the oils.
- 3
Slice the onions and roughly chop the garlic and set it aside.
- 4
Slice the galangal and place it in the pot
- 5
Cut the vegetables and mushroom into bite-sized pieces and set aside
- 6
If you are using frozen shrimp, thaw it before using it. Peel the shrimp and remove the head but keep the tail on. Set the shells aside for later.Alternatively, you can keep the heads and shells on as well.(Optional) Devein the shrimp and set aside
- 7
(Optional) If you are using chilies, cut the chilies in half and set them aside.
- 8
Rip the kaffir lime leaves in half and place it in the soup pot.
- 9
Place the lemongrass, onions, galangal, and garlic into the pot.
- 10
If you have shrimp skin and shrimp heads, add that to the pot as well.
- 11
Add the broth and water into the pot and set the pot on medium-high heat until it starts to boil
- 12
Once it starts to boil, adjust the heat to low heat and put a lid on it. Simmer it for 30 minutes
- 13
Once 30 minutes is up, taste the broth. It shouldn't have any saltiness to it, but it should have some citrus flavor from the lemongrass and lime leaves. If it doesn't, cook it for another 10-15 minutes.
- 14
Once you have finished cooking the broth, remove all the aromatics, shrimp skin, and shrimp head. They are not meant to be eaten, only to flavor the soup.
- 15
Turn the heat back up to medium
- 16
Add the chili paste ½ tablespoon at a time, and do a taste test to make sure it is not too spicy. Add up to 1 ½ tablespoons, until it is the right amount of spiciness for you.
- 17
Put in the vegetables and mushrooms and cook them for 1-2 minutes.
- 18
Add in the shrimp and cook it for 1-1 ½ minutes. Shrimp cooks very quickly, as long as it is fully thawed.
- 19
Turn off the heat
- 20
Add in the fish sauce, lime juice, and sugar. Stir and taste. Adjust it to your liking. (Add more lime juice if you like it tart etc)**Adding the lime juice and fish sauce in after the heat has been turned off, retains the flavor better.
- 21
If you are using glass noodles, add them to the pot of soup and let them cook for about 30 seconds to 1 minute.
- 22
Ladle it into a bowl and enjoy! :)