History

There’s a very little known history of Tom Yum soup, and often this is the mark of a very ancient dish, one that preceded written recipes and has become such a national symbol it does not need further explanation. It is believed to be originated from the central part of Thailand due to an abundance of freshwater shrimp. With the Thai herbs experimentally added to the shrimp broth, Tom Yum Goong was born. Being rich in herbs and spices, Tom Yum has a very rich, unique aroma with a lot of proven health benefits. Tom yum soup is a well-loved hearty dish for many around the world today. 

Its tangy flavour, beautiful aromas and rich colours have made Tom Tum soup a well-loved hearty dish for people around the world today.

Ingredients: (3-4 serves)

• 2 lemongrass stalks, bruised 
• 3 galangal slices
• 3 kaffir lime leaves, deveined and torn
• 2 small shallots, bruised
• 1 tbsp Tom yum paste (add 1 extra tbsp if you can’t find all the ingredients above, adjust to your liking)
• 2 cups of water
• 6 medium to large size prawns 
• 1 cup oyster mushroom (or other varieties) 
• 2-4 red Thai chilli, bruised
• 1 tbsp fish sauce
• 2 tsp tamarind paste
• 2 tbsp lime juice
• ¼ cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 tbsp saw tooth coriander, chopped  (optional)
• 1 tbsp coriander, chopped
• 3 cups of water

Method

Prep:

• Put 3 cups of water in a pot to boil
• Peel and clean the prawns, leave the prawn heads on (this gives the flavour to the broth)
• Bruise/pound lightly lemongrass, galangal slices, shallots and Thai bird chillies for them to release the fragrance. Then, slice the lemongrass diagonally after.
• Coarsely break 3 kaffir lime leaves

Cooking:

• Throw lemongrass, galangal, shallots and kaffir lime leaves into the pot and let boil for 5-10 minutes
• Add fish sauce and Tom Yum paste, lightly stir
• Toss in the prawns and press down so they are fully submerged. Do not stir in this process or it will release bitterness. Turn the heat to low
• Once started to boil, add tamarind paste.
• Add tomatoes, lightly mix
• Add Thai Bird chillies (you can add this with the herbs at the start for more flavours and heat)
• Add mushrooms and let cook for another 3-4 minutes until they are soft.
• Turn off the heat.
• Add lime juice and coriander to the soup and give it a final stir. Serve.

Tips

• Pour the soup over Konjac Noodles or have it with a serving of riceberry rice
  
• With all the herbs, you can make this recipe without the Tom Yum paste. However, we would suggest adding a tablespoon of Nam Prik Pao (Thai roasted chili sauce)

Recipe for WLSA by Natt, a Thai home cook living in Melbourne.