Vibrant Thai Tom Yum Soup (Printable)

Vibrant Thai soup with lemongrass, lime, Thai chiles, and shrimp. Bold sour and spicy flavors in perfect balance.

# What You Need:

→ Broth Base

01 - 4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
02 - 2 stalks lemongrass, trimmed and smashed
03 - 4 kaffir lime leaves, torn
04 - 3 slices galangal or ginger
05 - 2 Thai bird's eye chiles, sliced

→ Vegetables and Aromatics

06 - 7 ounces mushrooms, sliced
07 - 2 medium tomatoes, cut into wedges
08 - 1 small onion, sliced
09 - 3 cloves garlic, smashed

→ Protein

10 - 10 ounces shrimp, peeled and deveined, or tofu for vegetarian option

→ Seasonings and Finish

11 - 3 tablespoons fish sauce or soy sauce for vegetarian
12 - 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
13 - 1 teaspoon sugar
14 - 1 teaspoon chili paste (nam prik pao), optional
15 - Fresh cilantro leaves for garnish
16 - 2 green onions, sliced
17 - Lime wedges to serve

# Steps:

01 - In a medium pot, bring the stock to a gentle boil. Add lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, galangal, chiles, garlic, and onion. Simmer for 10 minutes to allow the aromatics to infuse the broth fully.
02 - Add sliced mushrooms and tomato wedges to the simmering broth. Cook for 5 minutes until the mushrooms are tender.
03 - Add shrimp or tofu and simmer just until shrimp turn pink and are cooked through, approximately 2 to 3 minutes.
04 - Stir in fish sauce, lime juice, sugar, and chili paste if using. Taste the soup and adjust seasoning for salt, sourness, and heat to your preference.
05 - Remove from heat. Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with fresh cilantro and sliced green onions. Serve with lime wedges on the side.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • This soup comes together faster than you'd expect, yet tastes like you've been simmering it all day.
  • The balance of sour, spicy, salty, and savory is genuinely addictive—once you taste it, you'll crave it.
  • It's naturally gluten-free and dairy-free, but nobody eating it will feel like they're missing anything.
02 -
  • Don't overcook the shrimp or it becomes tough and rubbery—those 2 to 3 minutes are all it needs, and if you're nervous, pull it out slightly underdone since it keeps cooking in the hot broth.
  • The 10-minute simmer of the aromatics is not optional; that's where all your flavor development happens, so resist the urge to rush it.
03 -
  • Always smash your aromatics rather than just chopping them—this releases the essential oils and flavors that make tom yum sing instead of just tasting like a random collection of ingredients.
  • Keep a container of fish sauce with a tight-fitting lid in your kitchen because once you understand how it transforms a dish, you'll start using it in all kinds of unexpected places.
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