Tom Yam recipe – making the famous Thai soup at home

Hello! Today I tried to make the famous Thai Tom Yam soup at home for the first time.

Ingredients for Tom Yam

Chicken broth (I replaced it with fish broth) – 400 ml;
Set of spices and herbs for Tom Yam (galangal root, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, chili pepper) – 1 pc;
Cherry tomatoes – 1 pack;
White onion – 1 pc;
Ginger – a piece the size of a thumb;
Mushrooms (mushrooms or oyster mushrooms) – 1 package;
Chili paste – 1 package; Sugar – 1 tbsp;
Sugar – 1 tbsp;
Fish sauce – 2 tbsp;
Lime – 1 tbsp;
Coconut milk – 1 package (400 gr);
Fresh cilantro – a couple of leaves;
Seafood (shrimp, squid and octopus) – as desired.

Traditionally for the preparation of Tom Yam use chicken broth. This time, I decided to depart from the classics and used leftover fish broth from Risotto with Dorado and Seafood.

However, that turned out to be a bad idea! The chicken broth gives the soup a richness and the necessary heaviness. By making it with fish broth, I deprived the soup of the heartiness it needed and some of the flavor nuances. Do not repeat my mistakes!

We’ll start making Tom Yum from the moment the broth is ready.

Step 1: infusing the broth with flavor and color.
Add spices and herbs to the broth: pounded lemongrass (yes, pound it a couple times with a blunt knife or meat mallet), chopped ginger and galangal root (the skin can be left on), hot pepper (pierce it with a fork so it gives out all the juice), lime juice, chili paste and shrimp shells.

In the recipe’s home country, cooking the soup often begins with roasting all these ingredients almost to black (especially the chili paste). Only then is broth and the rest of the ingredients added. To strain the Tom Yam, as I wrote above, the Thais do not consider it appropriate.

Roasting can also take place when making soup at home. I decided to abandon it.

Bring the broth to a boil and let it simmer for 10-15 minutes. We strain it and go to step 2.

Step 2: Add stuffing.
Add stuffing to the broth: white onions (medium sized pieces), mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, seafood and coconut milk.

Let it simmer for a few more minutes and then remove from the heat.

Step 3: serving the soup
Pour the ready Tom Yum soup on the plate, decorate it with fresh greens, taste the spices (if necessary we can add fish or soy sauce) and serve hot!

Bon appetit!

P.S. Tom Yum is pretty easy to make, even at home! The most difficult thing is to find the necessary ingredients, but lately coconut milk, a set of roots and vegetables for the soup and spicy paste are available in almost any major hypermarket.

I still recommend making the soup with chicken broth for a richer flavor, and keeping the ratio of coconut milk to broth 1:1. Next time I’ll try making it the right way and then I’m sure it will taste even better!