Tom Yum Goong
Hot, sour and fragrant prawn soup with lemongrass, galangal and makrut lime leaves, finished with lime juice and nam prik pao.
- Region
- Central Thailand
- Condiments
- Fish Sauce, Nam Prik Pao
- Vegetables
- Lemongrass, Galangal, Makrut Lime, Bird’s Eye Chilli, Thai Shallots, Coriander Leaves
- Fruits
- Lime
Ingredients
- 500 g large raw prawns, shell on
- 1 litre water or light chicken stock
- 3 stalks lemongrass, cut into 5 cm lengths and bruised
- 5 thin slices galangal
- 6 makrut lime leaves, torn, centre vein removed
- 4–8 bird’s eye chillies, lightly crushed
- 200 g oyster or straw mushrooms, torn or halved
- 2 small shallots, peeled and halved, lightly crushed
- 3 tbsp fish sauce
- 1–2 tbsp nam prik pao (Thai roasted chilli paste)
- 4 tbsp fresh lime juice
- 3 tbsp evaporated milk (optional, for the creamy “nam khon” style)
- 1 small handful coriander leaves
Instructions
Tom yum is about balance: sour from lime, heat from fresh chilli, salt from fish sauce, and a deep fragrance from lemongrass, galangal and lime leaf. The herbs are there to flavour the broth; they are not meant to be eaten.
The clear version (nam sai) is the original. The creamy version (nam khon) adds a little evaporated milk and more chilli paste; both are below.
Method
- Peel and devein the prawns, keeping the heads and shells. Fry the shells and heads in a dry pot for 2 minutes until pink, add the water and simmer for 10 minutes. Strain and discard the shells.
- Bring the prawn stock back to a simmer. Add the lemongrass, galangal, lime leaves and shallots and simmer for 3–4 minutes to infuse.
- Add the mushrooms and crushed chillies and simmer for 2 minutes.
- Stir in the fish sauce and nam prik pao. Add the prawns and cook for 1–2 minutes, just until they turn pink and curl. Don’t overcook.
- Turn off the heat. Stir in the lime juice (never boil lime juice, as it turns bitter) and the evaporated milk if using.
- Taste and balance: more lime for sourness, fish sauce for salt, chilli paste for heat and colour. Serve straight away, scattered with coriander.
Cook’s tips
- Squeeze the lime juice into the serving bowl first and pour the soup over it. It keeps the sour note at its freshest.
- Galangal is not ginger. Ginger will make the soup taste muddy; use dried galangal slices if fresh is not available.
Aroy Mak Mak
Aroy Mak Mak is a small team writing about the food of Thailand and its neighbours: recipes you can cook at home, guides to the ingredients behind them, and places worth travelling for. The name means "very delicious" in Thai. Every recipe on the site lists its ingredients, timings and method in full, explains the techniques that matter, and suggests substitutes for ingredients that are hard to find outside Thailand. The guides to regions, condiments, vegetables and fruits explain what things are, how they are used and how to buy and store them. Place pages are researched from current sources, including the latest Michelin Guide Thailand, official websites and maps, and give addresses, opening hours and what to order. Where a detail could not be confirmed, it is left out rather than guessed.