Tom Yum Goong (Hot and Sour Thai Shrimp Soup)
Ingredients:
4 cups shrimp stock (or unsalted chicken stock)
12 medium shrimp (head-on, shell-on preferred)
2 stalks lemongrass (bottom half only, smashed and cut into 2-inch pieces)
6 makrut lime leaves (bruised and torn)
8 slices galangal
2–5 Thai chilies (smashed, to taste)
3 cups oyster mushrooms (torn into bite-sized pieces)
¼ cup Thai chili paste (nam prik pao)
3 tablespoons fish sauce
½ cup fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon sugar
Chopped cilantro (for garnish)
Jasmine rice (for serving)
For the Shrimp Stock (if making):
Shells and heads from at least 12 shrimp
1 tablespoon neutral oil
4¼ cups water
¼ cup chopped onion (optional)
Instructions:
Make the Shrimp Stock (optional):
Sauté shrimp shells and heads (and onion if using) in oil until aromatic and browned.
Deglaze with water, scrape browned bits from the pot, and simmer for 5 minutes.
Strain the stock, pressing out juices from shrimp heads.
Make the Soup:
Add shrimp or chicken stock to a pot with lemongrass, galangal, chilies, and lime leaves. Simmer for 5 minutes.
Add mushrooms and simmer for 1–2 minutes.
Turn up the heat and add the shrimp. Once the soup begins to bubble, turn off the heat and let the residual heat finish cooking the shrimp (about 1–2 minutes).
Stir in lime juice, fish sauce, chili paste, and sugar. Taste and adjust balance (should be tangy and slightly sweet).
Garnish with cilantro and serve hot with jasmine rice.
Notes:
Shrimp heads add deep umami richness—use them if you can!
Don’t substitute galangal with ginger—it changes the flavor.
Adjust chili level to your spice tolerance.
The herbs (lemongrass, galangal, lime leaves) are for flavor infusion and not meant to be eaten.
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