Tom Yum (ต้มยำ (tom yam))

Name: Tom Yum
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Thailand
Ingredients: 400 g large prawns, shell on; 2 lemongrass stalks, bashed and cut; 5 slices galangal, 5 kaffir lime leaves; 200 g oyster or straw mushrooms; 3-6 bird's eye chillies, crushed; 3 tbsp fish sauce, 4 tbsp lime juice; 1 l light chicken or prawn stock, coriander

Overview

Tom yum is the hot and sour soup that defines Thai cooking's balance of flavours. The name roughly means 'boiled and mixed', and the broth is built in minutes by bruising lemongrass, galangal and kaffir lime leaves into stock, then adding prawns, mushrooms and fiery bird's eye chillies. Fish sauce brings saltiness and fresh lime juice, stirred in off the heat, gives the sharp sourness. The clear version, tom yum nam sai, is light and bright, while tom yum nam khon is enriched with evaporated milk or chilli paste for a creamy orange colour. The aromatics are left in the bowl for flavour but are not meant to be eaten. It is usually shared at the table with rice.

History

Tom yum comes from central Thailand, where hot and sour broths flavoured with fresh herbs have long been part of everyday cooking. Its exact origins are not well documented, but its key aromatics, lemongrass, galangal and kaffir lime, are classic ingredients of the region. The prawn version, tom yum kung, became one of the best-known Thai dishes abroad as Thai restaurants spread in the late twentieth century, and in 2024 UNESCO added tom yum kung to its list of the intangible cultural heritage of humanity.

Main ingredients

Prawns, lemongrass, galangal, kaffir lime leaves, chillies, lime juice. The soup is built on aromatic stock and is usually served hot. Diet: pescatarian; usually gluten-free.

Explore: Fish and seafood soups · Lemongrass soups · More soups from Thailand

Recipe

4Serves

35 min15 prep · 20 cook

~200kcal / serving

EasyDifficulty

Method

1
10 min
Peel the prawns and simmer the shells in the stock for 10 minutes, then strain.
2
5 min
Add lemongrass, galangal and lime leaves to the stock and simmer for 5 minutes.
3
2-3 min
Add mushrooms and chillies, then the prawns, and cook for 2-3 minutes until just pink.
4
Take off the heat and stir in fish sauce and lime juice; taste for hot, sour and salty balance.
5
Serve topped with coriander.
✓
Serve. About 35 min from start to bowl.

Pictures

Sources

Tom yum (Wikipedia)

Description, history and recipe written by SoupWiki and checked against the sources above. Calories and times are rough estimates.