Tom Yum Recipe
Creamy hot and sour soup with coconut milk, white mushroom, red onion, galangal, lemon grass, culantro, and cilantro.
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Ingredients
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Broth & aromatics
Mushrooms & vegetables
Proteins (optional)
Seasoning & heat
Garnish
Method
Broth & aromatics
Make the aromatic broth
In a medium pot, bring 6 cups of water or low-sodium chicken stock to a gentle boil over medium-high heat. Add the sliced galangal, smashed lemongrass stalks, kaffir lime leaves, halved shallot or red onion, and the cilantro stems (and culantro stems if using). Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered for 12–15 minutes to infuse the broth with aromatics.
After simmering, taste the broth. If you used lime zest instead of kaffir leaves, remove the zest pieces. Keep the aromatics in the pot for extra flavor or fish them out with a slotted spoon if you prefer a clearer soup.
Mushrooms & vegetables
Cook the vegetables
Add the cleaned, halved/quartered white mushrooms, halved cherry tomatoes, and thinly sliced red onion to the simmering broth. Increase heat slightly so the broth returns to a gentle simmer. Cook until mushrooms are tender and tomatoes begin to release juices, about 4–6 minutes.
Proteins (optional)
Add protein
If using shrimp, add them to the simmering soup and cook for 2–3 minutes until they turn pink and are opaque. If using cubed tofu, add it gently and simmer 2–3 minutes to heat through. Remove any foam or impurities that rise to the surface with a spoon.
Seasoning & heat
Season the soup
Lower the heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Stir in the Thai bird's eye chilies (or red chili paste), 2 tablespoons fish sauce, 1 teaspoon palm sugar, and 1 cup coconut milk. Heat just until the coconut milk is warmed through—do not boil vigorously once coconut milk is added to avoid splitting, about 2–3 minutes.
Turn off the heat. Add 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice to the pot and taste. Adjust balance of salty, sour, and sweet by adding more fish sauce (salt) or lime juice (sour) in small increments until you reach the characteristic hot-sour-salty-sweet Tom Yum balance.
Garnish
Finish and serve
Ladle the soup into bowls, making sure each bowl gets mushrooms, tomatoes, and shrimp or tofu if used. Garnish with chopped fresh cilantro leaves and chopped culantro if using. Serve immediately with lime wedges on the side for additional acidity to taste.