Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Posted by Izham on 6:16 AM 1 comment

Ingredients:

  • 6 cups good-quality chicken stock
  • 2-3 kaffir lime leaves (can be purchased at most Asian food stores), OR 1/2 tsp. lime zest
  • 2 stalks minced lemongrass, OR 3 Tbsp. frozen/bottled prepared lemongrass (or substitute 3 slices lemon)
  • 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp. grated galangal OR ginger
  • 1 fresh red chili, minced, OR 1-2 tsp. Thai chili sauce, OR 1/2 to 3/4 tsp. dried crushed chili OR cayenne pepper
  • generous handful of fresh shiitake mushrooms, sliced
  • juice of 1 lime
  • 2 Tbsp. fish sauce (if you dislike the smell of fish sauce, see below for substitution*)
  • 1 Tbsp. soy sauce
  • 12 medium to large shrimp, shells removed
  • handful of fresh basil
  • optional: other vegetables of your choice: 1 handful of broccoli, cherry tomatoes, or baby bok choy
  • optional: 1/2 cup coconut milk OR Carnation evaporated milk (the latter is often used in Thailand for traditional tom yum kung)
  • 1 tsp. sugar
  • 1/4 cup fresh coriander/cilantro

Method:

  1. Place stock in a large pot over high heat. Add the minced lemongrass (and leftover lemongrass stalks, if using fresh lemongrass), plus lime leaves. Bring to a boil.
  2. When soup reaches a bubbling boil, reduce heat to medium, or until you get a nice simmer. Add the garlic, galangal/ginger, chili, mushrooms, lime juice, fish sauce and soy sauce. Stir well and simmer 3 minutes.
  3. Add the shrimp plus other vegetables, if using. Simmer until shrimp are pink and plump (about 3 minutes).
  4. Reduce heat to medium-low and add the coconut milk or Carnation milk (if using). Now taste-test the soup, looking for a balance of salty, sour, and spicy. If not salty or flavorful enough, add 1 Tbsp. more fish sauce OR soy sauce. If too sour, add more sugar. If too spicy (Tom Yum is meant to be spicy!), add a little coconut or Carnation milk. If too salty, add another squeeze of lime juice.
  5. For those who like addtional spice/flavor, add a dollop of Thai Nam Prik Pao chili sauce, either store-bought or the homemade Thai Nam Prik Pao Chili Sauce Recipe . It can also be served on the side in small dishes, so each person can add as much as they prefer.
  6. Ladle soup into bowls and top with a generous sprinkling of fresh coriander
 
For a thicker, slightly richer version of this soup, see my popular Tom Khaa (Tom Yum Soup with Coconut Milk).
 
*Instead of Fish Sauce: For those who dislike the smell of fish sauce: substitute 1/2 tsp. dark soy sauce + 1 Tbsp. regular soy sauce.
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