Tom Yum Soup – Thai Hot & Sour Soup

Welcome to Day 6 of cooking Soups and Stews for 7 Days! Tom Yum Soup, also is known as Thailand’s Hot and Sour Soup, is one of my favorite soups. It is refreshing and savory simultaneously, making Tom Yum Soup the perfect soup to have at any season of the year! The shrimp provides the fantastic umami flavor while the lemongrass and lime leaves add freshness to the soup. This super easy and authentic recipe is a must-try! 

I remembered having Tom Yum Soup in Thailand in the summer and was instantly blown away by how delicious it was. It was light and perfect for any time of the day. I was determined when I got back to Vancouver to replicate the dish, and good news, I did it, and trust me, you will love it! 

There are a few secret tips when making Tom Yum Soup; the first is to use FRESH shrimp. The shrimp head fried in oil provides a beautiful redness but also excellent umami flavor. The second tip is NEVER to add lime until the soup is fully cooked. If you add lime too early, the soup will instantly turn bitter. Lastly, always bruise the herbs; it will bring out the flavor and aroma much stronger.

Ingredients 

4 stalks of Lemongrass 

1 cup of Lime Leaves 

2 inch of Galangal

3 Thai Chilli 

1 Shallot 

5 cups of Chicken Stock 

8 Large Thai Shrimp 

4 tbsp of Oil 

1 pack of Enoki Mushroom 

1 cup of Oyster Mushroom 

1.5 tbsp of Fish Sauce 

1 whole Lime Juice 

1. Bruise all the herbs by smashing the lemongrass with the back of the knife and twisting and turning the lime leaves. Cut up the shallots and beat the Thai chili with the end of the knife. 
2. Turn the heat up to medium-high, and in a pot, add in all the herbs along with 5 cups of Chicken Stock. Bring it to a simmer and let it cook for 10-15 minutes. 
3. Twist off the shrimp head and set the shrimp on the side 
4. In a pan, drizzle in 4 tbsp of oil and turn the heat up to medium-high. Once the pan is hot, add in the shrimp head and saute together till the head turns crispy and the oil turns red. It took around 3-5 minutes.
5. Remove all the herbs from the soup and add in shrimp and mushroom. Let it simmer for 2-3minutes or until shrimp is cooked, and add in 1.5 tbsp of fish sauce. 
6. Mix and turn the heat off. Add in the shrimp oil and also 1 whole lime juice.