Tom yum soup
A hot and sour Thai prawn soup scented with lemongrass, galangal and lime leaves, sharpened with lime juice and roasted chili paste.
Method
- 1
Peel and devein the prawns, leaving the tails on, and keep the heads and shells.
- 2
Simmer the shells and heads in the stock in the saucepan to give it a sweet shellfish flavour.
- 3
Strain the stock, discard the shells and pour it back into the pan.
- 4
Bruise the lemongrass, galangal and chilies with a pestle so they release their oils.
- 5
Add the lemongrass, galangal and lime leaves to the stock and simmer until fragrant.
- 6
Add the mushrooms and tomatoes and simmer until the mushrooms soften.
- 7
Stir in the chili paste and fish sauce.
- 8
Add the prawns and chilies and simmer until the prawns are pink and opaque all the way through.
- 9
Take the pan off the heat and stir in the lime juice and sugar. Lime juice turns bitter if boiled, so it always goes in last.
- 10
Taste: the soup should be sour first, then salty and hot. Adjust with more lime juice, fish sauce or chili.
- 11
Ladle into bowls and scatter with coriander. The lemongrass, galangal and lime leaves stay in for flavour but are not eaten.
Notes
- For the creamy version, tom yum nam khon, stir in 100 ml evaporated milk along with the lime juice.
- Galangal tastes sharper and more piney than ginger. Ginger will do at a pinch, but the soup will taste different.
Equipment
Large saucepan, Sieve, Pestle or rolling pin, Sharp knife