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Authentic Tom Yum Goong (Spicy Shrimp Soup)

Close-up of a steaming bowl of bright orange tom yum soup filled with large shrimp, mushrooms, and fresh cilantro garnish.
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Make classic Thai Tom Yum Goong, a spicy and sour soup featuring shrimp, lemongrass, galangal, and kaffir lime leaves. Choose between a clear broth or a creamy version with coconut milk.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 quart chicken or vegetable broth
  • 1 pound raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • 1 stalk lemongrass, tough outer layers removed, cut into 2-inch pieces, lightly bruised
  • 3 inches galangal, thinly sliced
  • 5 kaffir lime leaves, torn slightly
  • 2-4 Thai chilies, crushed (adjust to heat preference)
  • 1/4 cup fish sauce
  • 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
  • 1 tablespoon chili paste in oil (Nam Prik Pao)
  • 1 cup straw mushrooms or button mushrooms, halved
  • 1/2 cup coconut milk (optional, for creamy version)
  • 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped, for garnish

Instructions

  1. Combine the broth, lemongrass, galangal, kaffir lime leaves, and crushed chilies in a medium pot. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat.
  2. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes to allow the aromatics to infuse the broth.
  3. Strain the broth to remove the lemongrass, galangal, and kaffir lime leaves, returning the liquid to the pot. Discard the solids.
  4. Bring the strained broth back to a gentle simmer. Stir in the fish sauce, lime juice, and chili paste in oil. Taste and adjust sourness (lime) or saltiness (fish sauce).
  5. Add the mushrooms and cook for 2 minutes.
  6. Add the shrimp. Cook until the shrimp turn pink and opaque, about 2 to 3 minutes. Do not overcook.
  7. If making the creamy version, stir in the coconut milk now and heat through without boiling.
  8. Remove the pot from the heat. Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish generously with fresh cilantro.

Notes

  • For a vegetarian version, substitute vegetable broth and use soy sauce or vegetarian fish sauce instead of traditional fish sauce. Omit shrimp and use firm tofu or extra mushrooms.
  • If you cannot find fresh galangal, use ginger as a substitute, though the flavor profile will change slightly.
  • To achieve a clearer broth, simply skip the coconut milk addition in Step 6.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://delishdreams.com/tom-yum-soup-recipe-35-minutes/