Tom Yum Soup is a popular hot and sour soup from Thailand that is loaded with herbs and spices and lots of shrimp simmered in a flavorful broth. Make it at home with this recipe. So easy to make!
We're cooking up a classic Thai dish in the Chili Pepper Madness kitchen today, my friends. If you're a spicy food lover who enjoys soup, this is one you'll want to have in your recipe collection.
It is called Tom Yum Soup, and it is the perfect blend of flavors to please the spicy food lover's palate.
Authentic Tom Yum Soup is a well known hot and sour soup from Thailand made with lots of spices and herbs, and plenty of spicy chili peppers. It is usually made with shrimp, though pork is also a popular option. It is essentially a broth soup, the broth simmered with ingredients like smashed Thai peppers, kaffir lime, lemongrass and more.
You may also see it called Tom Yam, Tom Yum Goong (the clear version of the soup) or Tom Yum Khon (a creamier version).
I love it for it's flavor and spiciness, but also because it is very easy to make. You can have a steaming bowl of Tom Yum Soup on the table in under 30 minutes, and that's great for busy people who don't want to compromise great flavor for something quick.
Let's talk about how we make Tom Yum Soup, shall we?
Tom Yum Soup Ingredients
- Chicken Stock. Or use shrimp stock. See the recipe tips and notes section below on how to make your own shrimp stock.
- Thai Chili Peppers. Or use any spicy pepper available to you.
- Fish Sauce.
- Nam Prik Pao (Thai Chili Paste). Sub in other chili pastes as needed.
- Chili Oil. Sub in vegetable oil or make your own chili oil.
- Lemongrass. Fresh is great, but sub in a paste or use green onion with lemon zest.
- Kaffir Lime Leaves. Kaffir lime is very unique. Skip if you'd like, or sub in cilantro with lime zest.
- Garlic.
- Galangal. Sub in ginger if you can't find galangal.
- Straw Mushrooms. Sub in other mushrooms to your preference.
- Shrimp.
- Lime Juice.
For Garnish/Finish
- Chopped fresh cilantro, fish sauce, chili oil, chili flakes
How to Make Tom Yum Soup - the Recipe Method
Make the Stock Soup Base. Add the chicken stock (or shrimp stock) to a large pot along with the peppers, fish sauce, chili paste, chili oil, lemongrass, galangal, garlic, and kaffir lime leaves. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. You can simmer longer if you'd like to develop more flavor. Strain, if desired.
Mushrooms. Add the mushrooms and cook for 3 minutes.
Shrimp. Add the lime juice and shrimp. Simmer for 2 minutes, or until the shrimp is cooked through.
Serve. Serve into bowls and top with chopped fresh cilantro, a drizzle of fish sauce and chili oil, and chili flakes (if desired).
Boom! Done! Tom Yum Soup is ready to serve. It looks wonderful, doesn't it? I love to include extra peppers and seasonings in mine, as I do love it spicy, as you know. So easy to make, isn't it? And easy to customize to your own flavor preferences.
Recipe Tips & Notes
- The Chili Peppers. Use Thai peppers for this recipe if you can, though will achieve excellent results with other chili peppers. Go with heat levels of your choice, like spicy jalapeno, fiery serrano peppers or cayenne, or even extra hot peppers like habaneros, 7 pot peppers or ghost peppers for some real heat.
- The Stock. You can make this recipe more quickly with store bought stocks, like chicken stock, shrimp stock or seafood stock and vegetable broth or stock. I often make my own stocks and freeze them for later use. You'll definitely get more flavor from a homemade stock.
- Make Your Own Shrimp Stock. If you'd like to make your own shrimp stock for this recipe, start with shell on shrimp, preferably with the shrimp heads. Peel the shrimp, then add the shells and the shrimp heads to a pot with 4 cups of water. Add in lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, smashed ginger or galangal and garlic, shallot and Thai chilies. Bring to a boil then simmer at least 10 minutes to let the flavors develop. 1 hour or longer is better. Strain, then use to make your Tom Yum Soup! So delicious. The soup is more authentic this way.
- Other Ingredients. You can use other flavors to your preference. I have seen this recipe made with soy sauce, bay leaves, cherry tomatoes to finish, sugar or brown sugar, honey and more.
- Creamy Version. You can make more of a creamy version of Tom Yum Soup, called Tom Yum Nam Khon, by adding evaporated milk or coconut milk to the soup base.
That's it, my friends. I hope you enjoy this amazing Tom Yum Soup recipe. Let me know if you make it. I'd love to hear how it turned out for you. Keep it spicy!
Storage & Leftovers
Storing your Tom Yum Soup in an airtight container in the fridge may allow you to store the leftovers for 3 days. To maximize the storage life, make sure to refrigerate it promptly.
Try Some of My Other Popular Recipes
Got any questions? Ask away! I’m happy to help. If you enjoy this recipe, I hope you’ll leave a comment with some STARS. Also, please share it on social media. Don’t forget to tag us at #ChiliPepperMadness. I’ll be sure to share! Thanks! — Mike H.
Tom Yum Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 cups chicken stock or use shrimp stock
- 4 Thai chili peppers or use any spicy pepper available to you - see recipe notes
- 4 tablespoons fish sauce
- 3 tablespoons Thai chili paste nam prik pao
- 1 tablespoon chili oil
- 3 lemongrass stalks chopped and smashed
- 3 kaffir lime leaves
- 2 garlic cloves smashed
- 1 teaspoon fresh chopped galangal
- 15 ounces straw mushrooms I used canned, drained, but you can use fresh
- 12 medium shrimp peeled and deveined
- Juice from 1 small lime
- For Garnish/Finish: Chopped fresh cilantro fish sauce, chili oil, chili flakes
Instructions
- Add the chicken stock (or shrimp stock) to a large pot along with the peppers, fish sauce, chili paste, chili oil, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, garlic and galangal. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. You can simmer longer if you'd like to develop more flavor. Strain, if desired.
- Add the mushrooms and cook for 3 minutes.
- Add the shrimp and lime juice. Simmer for 2 minutes, or until the shrimp is cooked through.
- Serve into bowls and top with chopped fresh cilantro, a drizzle of fish sauce and chili oil, and chili flakes (if desired).
Notes
Nutrition Information
Sharon says
This was absolutely delicious! I had to sub a couple things, but I will be making this again and again! Thanks for the recipe!!
Mike H. says
Happy to hear it, Sharon. Enjoy!
Judy Fungchoo says
OMG !!! Makes my soul sing! Thank you! I did not have access to shrimp heads in the Midwest market so used the chicken broth. Nor did I have the galangal root did use ginger as suggested. I ordered the lime leaves on line. I doubled recipe plus put more shrimp in it and added some bean sprouts. Just threw in chopped cilantro. Freaking fabulous! Thanks again!
Mike Hultquist says
Nice!!! Glad you enjoyed it, Judy! Thank you very much for sharing. I appreciate it. =)
Jazz says
AMAAAAZING!!!! Thank goodness I found your recipe! I had two quarts of homemade shrimp stock, and no clue what to do with all of it! (We eat a lot of shrimp and I save all the shells in the freezer.)
I didn't have any lime leaves, so I used ground dried lime; no fresh galangal, but I had dried galangal (known as shar/sand ginger in Chinese cookjng); and frozen chopped lemongrass. Talk about pantry cooking, lol. Because I used dried ingredients, I let the broth simmer overnight.
Anyway, once you have all the ingredients, this soup is super easy to pull together. It is delish both with and without the coconut milk. We just added coconut milk in our individual bowls, so I could freeze the extra broth. My husband took one whiff of the soup and nearly swooned. He declared it better than any restaurant version, so thank you, Mike!!!
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Outstanding, Jazz! Yes, so good with homemade shrimp stock! I love that. I freeze batches as well. Super happy you both enjoyed it!
Gay McDonald says
I really like your take on this traditional recipe. I make my own nam prik pao, and I love to use it in various recipes. I have saved a few of your recipes to use. I am a volunteer at a program for older folks, and I make a weekly "morning tea" that includes a lot of allergy issues! My folks just love to try something new, and are into healthy food in a big way. Thanks for sharing your "obsession" - habanero in sweet chili sauces full of tropical fruits is my favorite mix! Pineapple, passionfruit, mango, papaya, and more.
Stay safe and well!
Gay
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Thanks, Gay! I love that you make your own nam prik pao. Very nice.
DON GREGORY says
ABSOLUTEY THE BEST
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Yes! I love this soup. So good.