Tom Yum Goong – Thai Shrimp Soup
“A must try tom yum recipe known for its hot and sour flavor with the refreshing blend of lemongrass, chili, galangal, lime leaves, lime juice, fish sauce, tender fresh shrimps, and mushrooms. This versatile soup is loaded with healthful nutrients that can fit any meal or serve it as is. ”
Thai tom yum goong (sometimes tom yum kung) is one of the most famous foods in Thailand. It’s a hot and sour dish with a rich aroma and flavor coming from blended spices, seafood, and herbs.
This soup, loaded with healthful nutrients, is made up of fresh lemongrass, chili, galangal, lime leaves, lime juice, fish sauce, fresh shrimps, and mushrooms. It is a versatile dish that can fit within almost any meal, served with rice or as is.
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What Does Tom Yum Mean?
The name Tom Yum comes from two Thai words. Tom refers to “boiling” and Yum refers to the “spicy and sour” flavor combination. There are many variations of Tom Yum Soup in Thailand. Yet this Tom Yum Goong or Tom Yum Kung recipe is the classic and most popular version. Goong and Kung refer to shrimp or prawns. Literally, the name means “boiling hot and sour shrimp” soup.
Although Tum yum goong or shrimp is the most popular version to make this soup with, you can also make tom yum with a mix of seafood like squid or fish or with chicken. You can really use any kind of seafood or other meat of your choice.
A side story…
I remembered that the first time I have tasted tom yum soup was when we went to Bangkok, Thailand in 2015. Personally, I really like spicy food, and this tom yum soup fascinated my palate. I like the flavors of lemongrass, galangal, kaffir lime leaves, fresh Thai chilies, and fresh lime juice, which perfectly combine to create a healthy and soothing broth that light up my taste buds. So whenever we travel in Asia and there is tom yum soup on the menu, I will surely grab it.
If I have the chance, I really want to come back and visit other cities in Thailand and explore its beauty, culture, and food. Moreover, I don’t have to worry about running out of budget because hotels and shopping items are affordable, foods are excellent, cheap, and healthy. Maybe in the future, right now, let’s get back to the recipe…
Easy to make Tom yum
Tom Yum is actually very easy to make. The hot and sour soup flavor comes from the addition of chilies, or sometimes Thai chili paste and a hearty squeeze of lime juice added at the end.
Since tom yum is a popular dish in Thailand and around the world, most of its ingredients are easy to find as well. If you are in Abu Dhabi, UAE, you can grab the ingredients at Lulu Hypermarket. I was even surprised that the herbs come in bundles, but I opted to buy each ingredient separately.
Preparing the spicy shrimp oil
Whole Shrimp. This is our main meat. Clean the shrimps properly. Peel the shell and cut the head and place in a skillet to make a “spicy shrimp oil”. Set aside the meat. Or if you want to skip this, just use the head and shells to make the shrimp broth. Just boil the water and add the heads and shells. Strain the broth to discard the head and shells and put the broth back in the heat. You can put the other herbs and spices after.
Oil. We will be using oil to cook the shrimps heads & shells and extract the oil from it. This will be sprinkled into the soup at the end to give an intense seafood flavor. You can use any flavorless oil you like!
Preparing the broth and some tips
Water. There’s no need for store-bought broth as you are making your own broth with the herbs and shrimps.
Lemongrass. Fresh stalks of lemongrass offer a bold refreshing taste. First, trim the tops and root ends of the lemongrass stalks and remove the tough outer layers. You can use the softer interior stalks so they can be eaten once cooked. If the stalks are tough you will have to remove them before serving. You have to make sure to pound them first before cutting them into inches to release their zests.
Galangal. This is a root herb I never heard of until I made this soup. This herb can be found in Asian markets, fresh or frozen. It looks like a ginger, but has a completely different flavor. It is added to seafood recipes specifically to counterbalance the strong fishy aroma. Take about 1 thumb sized chunk of the root part of galangal, and chop it into slices.
Kaffir Lime Leaves. An Asian herb that creates a distinct essence that cannot be replaced by anything else. Coarsely break about 12 kaffir lime leaves with your hands – no need to cut them, just tear them – which is going to help release their flavor.
Garlic. The pungent flavor of the garlic will complement the overall dish. Cutting it in half will release its tangs.
Thai Chilies or Birds Eye Chilies. These small red chilies often called “bird chilies” are hot and flavorful. You can adjust the spiciness of this dish by adding more chilies if you are fond of spicy foods. Usually tom yum soup is really spicy but I made mine a little bit mild so I can share it with others. You can always put more spicy shrimp oil or more chilies in your serving if you want to. You have to give them a little pound on your cutting board or cut them in half to burst out its spiciness.
Preparing the soup and additional information
Mushrooms. You can use any type of mushrooms you like. Straw mushrooms and enoki mushrooms are traditional, but button mushrooms are fine as well.
Tomato. Tomato adds color and sour flavor to the dish. Some use it while some are not. Feel free to omit it if you wish.
Onions. Shallots or sweet onion are traditional. But you can use any onion you have in your pantry. It will work out just fine.
Fish Sauce. The mother sauce of Thai cuisine! It is safe to start with 5 tablespoons of fish sauce and adjust according to your taste.
Sugar. Sugar will balance the salty and sour flavor of the soup while rendering a lightly sweet taste.
Lime Juice. You need freshly squeezed lime juice. This is highly important! Do not buy the bottled variety.
Cilantro. Cilantro is a strong herb that has a distinct flavor when added to the soup. You can either pour it to the soup while cooking or use it a garnish or both.
If you’re looking to cook an awesome and authentic soup, try this tom yum soup recipe. Your family and friends will definitely enjoy it. Happy tummy!
Watch on YouTube: Tom Yum Goong – Thai Hot and Sour Shrimp Soup
Tom Yum Goong (Shrimp) – Thai Hot and Sour Shrimp Soup Recipe
Equipment
- Cooking pot and stirring spoon
- Wok
- Measuring cup and spoon
Ingredients
- 500 grams medium-sized whole fresh shrimp (with heads intact)
- ½ cup oil
- 3 pieces thai chilies or bird chilies, chopped
For Broth:
- 6 cups water
- 3 stalks fresh lemon grass, outer layers peeled,lightly pounded and sliced diagonally
- 12 pieces kaffir lime leaves, break coarsely
- 3 cloves garlic, halves
- 5 pieces thai chilies or bird chilies, pounded slightly — add more if desired
- 1 and ½ inches galangal, cut into 5 slices
For Soup:
- 250 grams mushrooms, sliced
- 1 medium tomato, cut into quarter
- 1 small onion, cut into quarter
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 5-6 tablespoons fish sauce
- 5-6 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
- 3-4 tablespoons spicy shrimp oil, — from sauteed head and shells
- ½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped, divided — for soup and garnish
- lime wedges, as garnish
- remaining spicy shrimp oil, as garnish
Instructions
- Clean the shrimp thoroughly. Cut the heads off and peel the shrimp, put them in a bowl. Reserve the meat.
- On medium heat, place the skillet. Add the shrimp heads and shells, oil, pinch of salt and minced chilies (about 3 pieces). Sauté the shrimp heads and shells to release their flavor into the oil, cooking until they are red and crispy. Then turn off the heat. Discard the heads and shells by using a strainer and reserve the oil. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside.
- Pour water in a pot to boil. Toss the lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, garlic, chilies and galangal into the water. Cover the pot so it will boil easily and release all the herb flavors quicker.
- Boil the broth with all the herbs in it for about 10 minutes, until the broth smells bright and fragrant. Then add mushrooms and cook around 3 minutes.
- Add the quartered tomatoes and onions and cook for around 2 minutes.
- Put in the shrimp and cook for at least a minutes. Skim off and toss out any foam build up on top of your soup. Turn the fire to low.
- Add 5 tablespoons fish sauce and sugar. You may need more of each, but start with that.
- Boil tom yum for another minute or so and then turn off the heat. You don’t want your tom yum to be overcooked. The mushrooms and onions should be soft and then it’s ready.
- Once your heat is off, pour 5 tablespoons of lime juice or more (depending on how sour you like it). Then stir in 3-4 tablespoons of the spicy shrimp oil.
- Make sure you taste test until your tom yum is perfectly sour and salty. You might need to add more fish sauce, sugar or lime juice.
- Finally throw a handful of fresh cilantro in the soup and stir. The lime juice and cilantro taste fresher and more vibrant when not boiled, so turn off the heat before adding them.
- Serve with fresh lime wedges, cilantro or spicy shrimp oil. Tom Yum is often served over rice, however it can be serve as-is! Enjoy!
