This tom yum soup is all about the broth! It’s deep, savory, slightly sweet, slightly sour, herbaceous, kind of fishy (in a good way) and totally harmonious and utterly delicious! The shrimp and seafood gets added at the very end so it’s perfectly poached, juicy and decadent. It’s really a beautiful dish and you might want to make extra broth and freeze it for later when you don’t have as much time to make it.
I have never been to Thailand but I have always dreamed of going and I know my trip would most likely center all around the food and culture. I love how complex, subtle, yet loud the flavors are! I love cooking Thai food as authentically as an American can and it has all of my respect.
What you need to make Tom Yum Soup:
For the broth:
- Shrimp heads and shells from 1 pound of shrimp OR 2 tablespoons shrimp paste
- 6 cups water
- 1 stalk lemon grass – outer leaves peeled off with the white inner leaves exposed. then cut into long chunks
- 2 tablespoons ginger – peeled and sliced
- 2 tablespoons garlic – peeled and cut in half
- 2 Thai chili peppers – roughly sliced
- 1/2 cup white onion – roughly sliced
- 4 bay leaves
- 2 mushrooms
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 2 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1/4 cup lime juice
- 1 teaspoon sriracha
- 1 teaspoon fish sauce
- 1/2 cup cilantro
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Soup filing:
- 1 pound shrimp – peeled and deveined
- Optional – 1/2 pound Seafood of choice (scallops, calamari, etc.)
- Optional – 2 cups mushrooms – sliced
- Cilantro for on top
Instructions
- In a large stock pot, add shrimp shells and heads and saute over medium heat for 3 minutes, then add water.
- If using shrimp paste, add shrimp paste and water together.
- Add lemon grass stock chunks, ginger, garlic, chili peppers (more or less depending on your desired spice level), white onion, bay leaves, mushrooms, sugar, soy sauce, lime juice, sriracha, fish sauce, cilantro and salt.
- Bring broth to a boil and simmer for 30 minutes, if your broth over reduces add a little more water.
- Strain the broth with a fine mesh strainer.
- Return broth to the pot and add shrimp, seafood of choice and mushrooms and cook for 3-4 minutes or until seafood is cooked thoroughly.
- Serve with cilantro on top.
- Enjoy!
Check out some of my other Thai recipes below.
Red coconut curry RECIPE HERE
Thai coconut curry soup RECIPE HERE
Thai salad RECIPE HERE
Thai chicken tacos RECIPE HERE
Instant pot Thai coconut curry RECIPE HERE
Tom Yum Soup
Ingredients
- For broth:
- Shrimp heads and shells from 1 pound of shrimp OR 2 tablespoons shrimp paste
- 6 cups water
- 1 stalk lemon grass - outer leaves peeled off with the white inner leaves exposed. then cut into long chunks
- 2 tablespoons ginger - peeled and sliced
- 2 tablespoons garlic - peeled and cut in half
- 2 Thai chili peppers - roughly sliced
- 1/2 cup white onion - roughly sliced
- 4 bay leaves
- 2 mushrooms
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 2 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1/4 cup lime juice
- 1 teaspoon sriracha
- 1 teaspoon fish sauce
- 1/2 cup cilantro
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- for soup filling:
- 1 pound shrimp - peeled and deveined
- Optional - 1/2 pound Seafood of choice scallops, calamari, etc.
- Optional - 2 cups mushrooms - sliced
- Cilantro for on top
Instructions
- In a large stock pot, add shrimp shells and heads and saute over medium heat for 3 minutes, then add water.
- If using shrimp paste, add shrimp paste and water together.
- Add lemon grass stock chunks, ginger, garlic, chili peppers (more or less depending on your desired spice level), white onion, bay leaves, mushrooms, sugar, soy sauce, lime juice, sriracha, fish sauce, cilantro and salt.
- Bring broth to a boil and simmer for 30 minutes, if your broth over reduces add a little more water.
- Strain the broth with a fine mesh strainer.
- Return broth to the pot and add shrimp, seafood of choice and mushrooms and cook for 3-4 minutes or until seafood is cooked thoroughly.
- Serve with cilantro on top.
- Enjoy!