Tom Yum Goong — Thai Spicy Prawn Soup

About This Recipe

Tom Yum Goong (ต้มยำกุ้ง) is Thailand's most famous soup and one of the world's great aromatic broths. The name literally means 'boiling spicy and sour' — and it delivers on both counts with lemongrass, galangal, kaffir lime leaves and fresh bird's eye chillies creating a broth so complex and vivid that it's simultaneously warming, cooling, spicy, sour and deeply savoury.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 500 graw prawns(shell on or peeled)
• 1.2 litreschicken or prawn stock
• 3 stalkslemongrass(bruised and cut into 4cm pieces)
• 4 slicesgalangal(or 3 slices fresh ginger)
• 8kaffir lime leaves(torn)
• 6bird's eye chillies(bruised (adjust to heat preference))
• 200 gstraw mushrooms or oyster mushrooms
• 3 tbspfish sauce
• 3 tbspfresh lime juice
• 1 tbspnam prik pao (roasted chilli paste)(optional but authentic)
• 1 handfulfresh coriander(to garnish)

Instructions

1. 1

   Build the aromatic broth

   Bring stock to a boil. Add lemongrass, galangal, kaffir lime leaves and chillies. Simmer 5 minutes to infuse the broth with aromatics.

   Bruise the lemongrass and galangal — bash them with the flat of a knife. This releases the essential oils into the broth.

2. 2

   Add mushrooms and nam prik pao

   Add mushrooms and roasted chilli paste (if using). Simmer 3 minutes.

3. 3

   Cook the prawns

   Add prawns. Cook just 2–3 minutes until pink and curled. Remove from heat immediately — overcooked prawns turn rubbery.

4. 4

   Season

   Season with fish sauce and lime juice. Taste: it should be hot, sour, salty and slightly sweet — adjust the balance. Tom yum's defining characteristic is the bold contrast between hot chilli and sour lime.

5. 5

   Serve

   Ladle into bowls with coriander. The aromatic solids (lemongrass, galangal, lime leaves) are not eaten — they are flavouring only.

Variations

• •

  Tom Yum Gai: use chicken strips instead of prawns.

• •

  Tom Yum Nam Khon: the creamy version with coconut milk — popular outside Thailand.

• •

  Tom Kha Gai: replace galangal with more galangal, add coconut milk — the creamy sister soup.

Storage

Best eaten fresh. Broth keeps 3 days refrigerated — add fresh prawns when reheating.

Frequently Asked Questions