Tom Yum Recipe That Brings You a Piece of Thailand

Tom Yum - Thai Soup Full of Flavor You Can Make at Home

Thai cuisine is renowned for its balance between spicy, sweet, sour, and salty. Tom Yum is one of the best examples of this fascinating balance of flavors. This distinctive soup, originating from Thailand, has become popular not only throughout Southeast Asia but also in Europe. But how do you prepare an authentic Tom Yum recipe at home? And is it even possible to cook it without exotic ingredients that are hard to find?

Surprisingly, yes. Whether you're a fan of spicy foods or just looking for a healthy and quick dinner, Tom Yum can become a staple in your home menu. Whether you're looking for a recipe for Thai soup Tom Yum, or are interested in how to use Tom Yum paste, we have everything you need.

What is Tom Yum and Why Has It Conquered the World?

Tom Yum (sometimes spelled Tom Yam) is a traditional Thai soup, whose name can be translated as "boil and mix" (tom = boil, yum = mix). It is most commonly prepared with shrimp (then it's called Tom Yum Goong), but it tastes just as good with chicken (Tom Yum Gai), tofu, or seafood.

The secret weapon of this soup is its aromatic base: a fragrant blend of galangal, lemongrass, lime leaves, chili peppers, and fish sauce creates an unmistakable flavor. The result? A soup that warms, clears the sinuses, and soothes the soul. For Thais, it is not only a common meal but also a remedy for colds.

While in Thailand, you have dozens of variants to choose from, when preparing at home, you usually encounter two main versions: clear and coconut. Clear Tom Yum is spicier, with a pronounced citrus herb flavor, while the coconut version (Tom Yum Nam Khon) is creamier and milder thanks to coconut milk and a slightly larger amount of chili paste.

Recipe for Tom Yum Soup

Preparing this legendary soup is not complicated, but the key is to have the right ingredients. If you can't find some fresh, they can be substituted with dried or frozen versions. In specialized Asian stores or online, it is now easy to find even galangal or lime leaves.

Here is a simple recipe for Tom Yum with shrimp that you can make in 30 minutes:

Ingredients:

• 1 liter of chicken or vegetable broth
• 2–3 stalks of lemongrass
• 4–5 slices of fresh galangal (or 1 teaspoon dried)
• 3–4 lime leaves (Kaffir lime)
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 1–2 teaspoons sugar (preferably palm sugar)
• 200 g shrimp (peeled, preferably with tails)
• 150 g mushrooms (e.g., champignons or shimeji)
• 1–2 tablespoons Tom Yum paste (see below)
• optionally 100 ml coconut milk (for creamy version)
• fresh chili peppers or chili flakes to taste
• spring onions and cilantro for garnish

Instructions:

1. Bring the broth to a boil in a pot. Add roughly chopped lemongrass, galangal, and lime leaves. Let simmer for 5–10 minutes to release the aroma.
2. Add Tom Yum paste, fish sauce, sugar, and lime juice. Mix well.
3. Add the mushrooms and simmer briefly. Then add the shrimp and cook until they turn pink (about 3 minutes).
4. If you want the coconut version, pour in coconut milk and heat briefly.
5. Taste the soup and adjust the flavors if necessary – it should be sour, salty, and spicy at the same time.
6. Serve hot, sprinkled with chopped spring onions and fresh cilantro.

Tom Yum Paste

You might wonder: Is it necessary to find all those exotic herbs? This is where Tom Yum paste comes in. This pre-prepared mixture, containing concentrated extracts of lemongrass, galangal, chili, and other important ingredients, makes cooking much easier. Just add it to the broth, and you're done in no time.

When choosing a paste, we recommend reading the ingredients – a quality Tom Yum paste should not contain monosodium glutamate, excessive sugar, or synthetic dyes. Vegan versions without fish sauce are also available on the market.

The paste also allows you to experiment. Some use it as a base for marinating tofu or grilled meat. Others add it to noodle soups or legume broths to enhance the flavor. With a little creativity, you don't have to stick only to the traditional Tom Yum soup recipe.

A Meal That Brings People Together

One of the beauties of Thai cuisine is that meals are often prepared and eaten together. Tom Yum is a typical dish that is served in the middle of the table in a bowl from which everyone helps themselves. In Thai families, it is common for several generations to gather at dinner – grandparents, parents, and children – and each soup has a slightly different taste depending on who cooked it.

One Czech family, who fell in love with Thai cuisine while traveling in Asia, loved Tom Yum so much that they cook it every Sunday evening. The mom prepares the broth, the kids mix the coconut milk with the paste, and the dad always finishes by seasoning it to "spicy, but not too much." Everyone has their role at the table – and that might be the greatest value of traditional meals. Not just taste, but also sharing.

Why Give Tom Yum a Try?

Besides being a meal full of flavor and emotions, Tom Yum also has several health benefits. Thanks to lemongrass and galangal, it has anti-inflammatory effects, fish sauce provides the body with important minerals, and chili helps speed up metabolism. If you use quality ingredients and skip the glutamate additives, you have in your hands a healthy, low-calorie, yet hearty soup.

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And as Thai chef Ian Kittichai said: "Cooking is not about complexity, but about balance of flavors. When you learn to balance salty, sour, sweet, and spicy, you can cook anything."

So what do you say? Try making your own version of Tom Yum at home. Whether it's according to the classic recipe or with the help of paste, we guarantee that the taste will transport you thousands of kilometers away – right to the heart of Thailand.