Thai: tom yum goong.
Tom Yum is perhaps the most famous of all Thai soups. It is a clear, sour soup which is flavoured with fresh lemon grass and kaffir lime leaves.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 12 minutes
Servings: 3 – 4
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 2.5cm pieces
- 3 slices fresh galangal root
- 3 fresh kaffir lime leave
- 1 tbsp tamarind paste
- 1 tbsp fish sauce
- 12 prawns, medium to large size, shelled and de-veined
- 12 fresh chillies, cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch strips.
- 1/2 small white onion, cut slices
- 2 tbsp roasted chili paste (nam prik pao)
- 1 can straw mushrooms, drained and rinsed
- 1 small ripe tomato, cut into wedges
- 1 small lime, squeezed
- 2 sprigs fresh coriander
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 5 minutes until the shrimp is cooked through.
- Add the chilli and tomatos. Turn off the heat. Add the lime juice.
- Taste to adjust the seasoning, adding fish sauce to taste. Ladle soup into serving bowls and garnish with coriander if desired and serve.
