Some links on this page are affiliate links. If you buy through them we may earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you.
A hot, sour, and fragrant Thai soup built on lemongrass, galangal, and lime leaves. Ready in well under 30 minutes.
Tom Yum Soup
- 1 litre chicken or vegetable stock
- 2 stalks lemongrass, bruised and cut into lengths
- 4 slices galangal
- 4 kaffir lime leaves, torn
- 3 tbsp tom yum paste
- 200g raw prawns
- 150g mushrooms, halved
- 2 tbsp fish sauce
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- 1 tsp sugar
- Fresh chilli and coriander, to finish
- Bring the stock to a simmer with the lemongrass, galangal, and lime leaves for 5 minutes to infuse.
- Stir in the tom yum paste.
- Add the mushrooms and simmer for 3 minutes.
- Add the prawns and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until just pink.
- Stir in fish sauce, lime juice, and sugar.
- Taste and adjust the balance of sour, salty, and sweet before serving.
Why this recipe works
Infusing the aromatics in the stock before adding the paste builds a rounder, more fragrant base than stirring everything in at once.
Tips for the best tom yum
- Add lime juice off the heat, right at the end, since boiling it turns the flavour bitter and flat.
- The lemongrass, galangal, and lime leaves are for flavour, not eating. Warn diners or fish them out before serving.
- Balance is everything here. Taste as you go and adjust sour, salty, and sweet rather than following amounts exactly.
Shop the ingredients
Related reading
- Hot and sour soup for the Chinese take on a similar idea.
