Tom Yum is the most famous of Thai soups, being very popular in Thai restaurants in the US. It is a clear sour soup which is flavored with fresh lemon grass and kaffir lime leaf. The most well-known version uses shrimp (in Thai: goong, koon, kung), but you may also use firm white-flesh fish (see Tom Yum Taleh) or chicken (gy or kai).
Ingredients
4 cups of water
2 stalks fresh lemon grass, trim off the very end of the root and smash with the side of a cleaver of chef's knife; cut into 1 inch pieces; or 2 pc dried
3 slices fresh galangal root(smashed) or 2 pc dried
1 small ripe tomato, cut into wedges 1/4 inch thick
1 small lime, squeezed
2 sprigs fresh cilantro
Preparation
Bring water to boil over high heat in a medium-sized saucepan. Add the lemon grass, galangal, kaffir lime leaf, fish sauce and tamarind paste (break apart the tamarind paste with your fingers as you add it). Add the shrimp, bring to a boil and cook 3 minutes. Add the onion, nam prik pao and straw mushrooms. Boil for another 7 minutes until the shrimp is cooked through. Add the chile peppers and tomatoes. Turn off the heat. Add the lime juice. Taste to adjust the seasoning, adding fish sauce to taste. Garnish with cilatantro if desired and serve. Serves 3 to 4.
Serve in this Soup Serving Bowl, available in our cookware section.
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