Spicy Tom Yum Soup (Printable)

A bold Thai soup with shrimp, lemongrass, lime, and chili in a hot and sour broth bursting with flavor.

# What You Need:

→ Broth Base

01 - 4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
02 - 2 stalks fresh lemongrass, trimmed and smashed
03 - 4 kaffir lime leaves, torn into pieces
04 - 3 slices fresh galangal or ginger
05 - 2 Thai bird's eye chilies, sliced

→ Main Ingredients

06 - 9 oz large shrimp, peeled and deveined
07 - 5 oz white mushrooms, sliced
08 - 2 medium tomatoes, cut into wedges
09 - 1 small onion, sliced
10 - 2 tablespoons fish sauce
11 - 1 tablespoon lime juice, plus more to taste
12 - 1 teaspoon sugar
13 - 1 teaspoon chili paste (nam prik pao), optional
14 - Salt to taste

→ Garnishes

15 - Fresh cilantro leaves
16 - Sliced green onions
17 - Extra lime wedges

# How-To Steps:

01 - In a medium pot, bring the stock to a simmer over medium heat. Add lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, galangal, and chilies. Simmer for 5 to 7 minutes to release flavors.
02 - Add mushrooms, tomatoes, and onion to the broth. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes until the vegetables soften.
03 - Add shrimp and cook until they turn pink and opaque, approximately 2 to 3 minutes.
04 - Stir in fish sauce, lime juice, sugar, and chili paste if using. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional fish sauce, lime juice, or salt as desired.
05 - Remove from heat. Optionally discard lemongrass stalks and galangal slices. Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with cilantro, green onions, and lime wedges.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The broth manages to be cooling and fiery all at once, hitting notes you didnt know existed in soup
  • It comes together in under 40 minutes but tastes like something that simmered for hours
  • You can adjust everything from the heat level to the protein to make it exactly yours
02 -
  • The broth needs to be aromatic before you add anything else, rushing this step is why homemade Tom Yum sometimes lacks restaurant quality
  • Shrimp continue cooking in the hot broth, so pull them slightly before you think they're done
  • Lime loses its punch over heat, so always add the juice at the end and serve extra wedges at the table
03 -
  • Smash lemongrass with the back of your knife or a heavy pan to release the oils without cutting through
  • If you can't find galangal, use twice the amount of ginger but add a pinch of white pepper for that characteristic bite
  • The soup tastes better the next day as the flavors meld, so make it ahead if you're planning a dinner
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