Tom Yum Gong Soup

Tom yum goong is Thailand’s iconic hot-and-sour shrimp soup, and it hits every note at once: spicy, sour, salty, and intensely aromatic. The magic is in the trio of fresh aromatics steeped in the broth.

Lemongrass, sliced galangal, and torn kaffir lime leaves go into simmering stock, perfuming it with that unmistakable bright, citrusy, almost floral fragrance you can’t fake with dried substitutes.

From there it builds fast: mushrooms, salty fish sauce, and a spoon of Thai chili paste for depth and heat, then the prawns, which need only a couple of minutes until they turn pink.

Fresh lime juice and sliced chili go in at the very end, off the heat, to keep their brightness sharp, and a scatter of cilantro finishes it.

It’s genuinely a 15-minute soup, which is part of its charm, fast, light, and packed with flavor.

Pro Tips

• Bruise the lemongrass and slice the galangal so they release maximum aroma into the broth.
• Add the lime juice off the heat at the end; boiling it turns the brightness flat.
• Don’t overcook the prawns; pull them as soon as they turn pink and opaque.
• Galangal, lemongrass, and kaffir lime flavor the broth but aren’t usually eaten, so leave them in or fish them out.

Variations

• Add a splash of coconut or evaporated milk for tom yum nam khon, the creamy version.
• Swap prawns for chicken, fish, or mixed seafood.
• Adjust the chili and lime to dial the heat and sourness to your taste.