The authentic, clear version of the famous Thai hot-and-sour soup, made with whole tiger shrimp, a fragrant lemongrass and galangal infusion, and brightened with bird's eye chili and lime juice.
Ingredients
- 600 g Whole raw tiger shrimp (tiger prawns), head-on and shell-on, about 12 pieces
- 3 stalks Fresh lemongrass
- 50 g Fresh galangal
- 6 leaves Fresh makrut lime leaves (kaffir lime)
- 5 pieces Fresh red bird's eye chili
- 200 g Fresh button mushrooms (or straw mushrooms)
- 2 pieces Shallot
- 3 tbsp Thai fish sauce (nam pla)
- 2 pieces Fresh lime
- 1 bunch Fresh cilantro
- 1.2 l Water
Method
- Prepare the tiger shrimp: peel the shrimp, leaving the tails intact. Set the heads and shells aside for the broth. Remove the dark vein with a thin knife. Refrigerate the shrimp.
- Prepare the aromatics: cut the galangal into thin slices (3 mm). Crush the lemongrass stalks with the flat of a knife and cut them into 4 cm pieces. Tear the makrut lime leaves in half to release their aromas. Lightly crush the whole bird's eye chilies (do not split them completely if you want less heat). Thinly slice the shallots. Cut the mushrooms into quarters.
- Infuse the broth: in a large pot, bring the water to a boil. Add the shrimp heads and shells, galangal slices, lemongrass pieces, torn makrut lime leaves, crushed chilies, and shallots. Simmer over medium-high heat for 5 minutes. The broth should become highly fragrant and lightly colored.
- Cook the mushrooms: add the mushrooms to the broth and continue cooking for 2 minutes, until tender.
- Cook the tiger shrimp: submerge the peeled shrimp in the bubbling broth. Cook for exactly 1 minute 30 seconds to 2 minutes, until they turn pink and their edges begin to curl. Do not cook them any longer or they will become rubbery.
- Season: remove the pot from the heat. Add the fish sauce and stir. Squeeze the juice of the limes directly into the broth (about 4 tbsp). Taste and adjust the sour-salty balance: it should be bright and salty, with a slight bitterness from the aromatics.
- Serve: divide the broth and shrimp among four deep bowls. Garnish generously with fresh cilantro leaves. Serve immediately, piping hot.
- Tasting tip: present the shrimp with their tails for an attractive presentation. Serve with jasmine rice if desired, but tom yum goong is traditionally enjoyed as a soup on its own.
Nutrition
Per serving
- Energy
- 216 kcal
- Protein
- 38.91 g
- Carbohydrate
- 14.62 g
- Fat
- 1.37 g
- Fibre
- 4.48 g
- Calcium
- 29.59 mg
- Iron
- 0.41 mg
- Magnesium
- 12.77 mg
