Spicy Tom Yum Soup (Printable)

A hot and sour Thai broth infused with shrimp, lemongrass, lime, and chili for rich flavor.

# What You'll 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 ounces large shrimp, peeled and deveined
07 - 5 ounces 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

# Step-by-step Directions:

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

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It comes together in 35 minutes but tastes like you've been simmering it for hours.
  • The heat and acidity dance in your mouth in a way that keeps you coming back for another spoonful.
  • One pot, no fussy techniques—just bold flavors that feel restaurant-quality in your own kitchen.
02 -
  • Don't skip smashing the lemongrass and tearing the lime leaves—bruising them releases the volatile oils that make tom yum taste like tom yum and not just hot broth.
  • Taste before you finish; fish sauce and lime are your final controls, and what tastes right depends on your broth, your shrimp, your mood that day.
03 -
  • Buy your shrimp the same day you cook, or buy frozen and give them time to thaw in the fridge—thawed shrimp are firmer and absorb flavor better.
  • If you can't find kaffir lime leaves or galangal, a regular grocery store lemongrass and ginger will work, but seek out the authentic ingredients at least once so you know what you're aiming for.
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