Tom Yum Soup in Thailand: Types, Ingredients and Recipe

When you ask Thai people about their favorite food, the answer will be various, but most of them may include one: Tom Yum Soup. Not only do local people love it, but also overseas tourists enjoy it. This mouth-watering dish will be a bonus on your Thailand tour.

What Is Tom Yum Soup

Tom Yum (ต้มยำ) Soup, or Tom Yam, is a strong, hot and sour soup, with shrimp/prawns (named Tom Yum Goong), mushrooms, and many other ingredients. In the Thai language, "tom" (ต้ม) means "to boil", while "yum" (ยำ) refers to a mix of salad that is typically spicy and sour. So, "Tom Yum" essentially translates to "boiled spicy salad," reflecting the soup's hot and tart flavor profile. This tasty and healthy food in Thailand can be found everywhere, whether in restaurants or at home.

Tom Yum Soup

Types of Tom Yum Soup

Tom Yum Goong has two main types: the creamy type "Tom Yum Nam Khon" and the clear type "Tom Yum Nam Sai". With similar ingredients and cooking procedures, the difference is Tom Yum Nam Khon will add evaporated milk (or sometimes coconut milk) and chili paste (Nam Prik Pao), making the broth creamy and richer.

Besides Tom Yum Goong, there are many other types of Tom Yum Soup that you may be interested in:

Where to Eat Tom Yum Soup in Thailand

It is very easy to find Tom Yum Soup in any Thai restaurant. When you travel to Thailand, if you can find a restaurant full of local people, that means you have found one of the most popular Tom Yum Soups there. And if you want to eat authentic ones, the best way is to ask your private tour guide. He or she must be an expert on their hometown food, and also give you some inspiration for what to eat in Thailand.

What to Eat With Tom Yum Soup

As a main dish in Thailand, Tom Yum Soup is always paired with light and refreshing sides like green papaya salad or makheua yao pad tao jiao (stir-fried eggplant) to balance out the bold flavors of the soup. Rice noodles, prawn crackers, or steamed rice are the perfect match with Tom Yum Soup as a staple food.

Tom Yum Soup Beyond Thailand

If you want to eat Tom Yum Soup in your country, the simplest way is to buy instant Tom Yum Soup. You can buy some during your Thailand tour, or directly buy it online. The price per can of Tom Yum Soup will range from a few dollars to over ten dollars, depending on the purchasing methods and brands. Generally, it contains mushrooms, dried chili, dried shrimp, and other ingredients, which are the main elements of Tom Yum Soup.

Tom Yum Soup Ingredients

After you taste Tom Yum Soup once in Thailand, it is hard to forget the charms of it. So why not cook it at home? It is very easy to make a successful Tom Yum Goong with the following ingredients and recipe.

For Tom Yum Nam Sai (Clear Type):

• 2 liters of water
• 0.5 kilo shrimps or prawns, unpeeled and deveined, fresh ones would be better
• 300 grams of oyster mushrooms or other mushrooms as you like
• 2 stalks lemongrass
• 5 - 6 kaffir lime leaves
• 4 - 10 Thai chilies (depending on what pungency degree you like)
• 2 white onions (optional)
• 2 small tomatoes (optional)
• 1 inch chunk of galangal (galangal is better than ginger)
• 5 - 6 tbsp of fish sauce
• 2 tbsp of white sugar
• 1 handful cilantro
• 5 - 6 limes (for squeezing) or 2 - 3 tbsp lime juice

For Tom Yum Nam Khon (Creamy Type):

Based on Tom Yum Nam Sai, you only need to add two more things：

• 4 - 5 tbsp evaporated milk or coconut milk
• 1 - 2 tbsp Thai chili paste (nam prik pao)

Tom Yum Nam Khon (Creamy Type)

Tom Yum Soup Recipe

Step 1: Make the "Tom" of "Tom Yum"

1. Lemongrass: slice off the bottom and the top, peel off the outer layer, thump it with a mallet to release the flavor then slice it into strips about 1 inch each.

2. Galangal: choose a thumb-size chunk of the root, and slice the stem into pieces.

3. Kaffir Lime Leaves: tear the leaves by hand into pieces. Don't use a knife to cut it as tearing by hand can let the fragment out of them.

4. Thai Chilies: Rip off the stem, then slice into pieces.

5. Soup: boil the water (or chicken soup if you like), and put the lemongrass, galangal, kaffir lime leaves, and Thai chilies into the water. Use gentle heat and cover with a lid for about 10 minutes.

Step 2: Make the "Yum" of "Tom Yum"

1. Shrimps/Prawns: trim the claws and tentacles, and peel off the bodies. You can decide to leave their heads and tails or just cut them off.

2. Mushrooms: tear into smaller pieces if some of them are too big, then wash them carefully.

3. White Onions/Tomatoes (optional): cut them into wedges.

4. Cilantro: cut the cilantro into pieces.

5. Soup: turn to high heat to boil the soup, then put the shrimp into it, and stir quickly. Put mushrooms and onions or tomatoes into the soup, and stir again to make sure all things are submerged in the soup. Turn down the heat to medium. If there is any foam on the top, skim off some of that. Before turning off the heat, add fish sauce and sugar with a quick stir.

6. Lemon Juice: Do not put it into the soup before the heat is turned off. In this way, lemon juice will be fresher and without bitterness.

7. Taste the Soup: make sure the salinity, acidity, and pungency perfectly match your taste. Make slight adjustments if needed.

8. If you prefer to enjoy Tom Yum Nam Sai (Clear Tom Yum Soup), ladle the soup into your bowl and add the cilantro.

Tep 3: Make the "Nam Khon" of "Tom Yum"

If you want to have a richer and creamier flavor, add evaporated milk and Thai chili paste to your Tom Yum Nam Sai, open the heat to boil, and stir. And the awesome Tom Yum Nam Khon is ready. Now you can enjoy authentic homemade Tom Yum Soup.

Feast Your Appetite in Thailand

OK, that's all for the introduction about Tom Yum Soup. Don't just read how wonderful Tom Yum Soup is, go to visit Thailand and try the authentic one by yourself. Contact Odynovo at [email protected] and make this happen soon.