tom yam

A delicious taste of Thailand.

I’ve been very fortunate to live in South–East Asia and have the opportunity to travel around it. Thailand is a country I visit often and where I’ve learned how to cook some dishes my family and I like.

This delicious Thai shrimp soup recipe is for my daughter, Anda.

Enjoy!

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tom yam

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Ingredients

*see tips&cheats for shrimp-free version of tom yam

Soup base:

Makes 600ml soup base

• 2 tbsp vegetable oil

• heads and shells from 8 shrimps

• ½ medium onion, sliced

• 800ml water

• 2 lemongrass stalks (smash the thicker end with the flat part of a large knife, to help release the flavour)

• 4 kaffir lime leaves, with the whole stem removed

• 2 bird’s eye chillies

• 2 garlic cloves

• 6cm galangal, sliced (skip it if you cannot find it; it looks like ginger, but it doesn’t taste the same)

• ½ tsp black peppercorn

• 1 tsp salt

Thai roasted chilli paste - Nam Prik Pao:

Makes 2 tbsp paste

• 4 dried, red chilli or 2 tbsp chilli flakes

• 5 garlic cloves

• 1 small red onion, thickly sliced

• 1 tbsp tamarind juice (substitute with 1 tbsp pomegranate molasses, or 1 tbsp cider vinegar mixed with ¼ tsp brown sugar)

• 1 tsp fish sauce

• 2 tsp brown sugar

• pinch of salt

• 1 tbsp vegetable oil

• Optional: 2 dried shrimps (I don’t like the taste, so I left them out)

Tom Yam soup:

• 600ml soup base

• 100g oyster mushrooms

• 100g cherry tomatoes

• 2 kaffir lime leaves, with the whole stem removed

• 1 lemongrass stalk, the thicker part smashed with the flat side of a large knife

• 8 shrimps, de-veined (or shredded, cooked chicken meat if making the shrimp-free version)

• 1-2 tbsp Nam Prik Pao (Thai roasted chilli paste), store bought or homemade using the recipe above

• juice of 1 lime

• 1 tbsp fish sauce

• Additional: 1 tsp brown sugar

To serve: Jasmine rice

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Method

Make the soup base:

1. Heat the vegetable oil in a large pot. Sauté the onion and the shrimp heads and shells. Using tongs, squeeze out the brown liquid from inside the heads. It gives an extra shrimp flavour to the soup, making it even tastier.

2. Add the water and the rest of the ingredients, but not the salt. Place a lid on top.

3. When it starts simmering, add the salt. Lower the heat and cook for about 20 minutes.

4. Strain and discard the solids. You should now have 600ml of tom yam soup base.

Make the roasted chilli paste:

1. In a hot pan, dry roast the chillies. Once done, place them in a blender. If you want to make the food less spicy, remove the seeds.

2. Dry roast the onion and garlic.

3. If using the optional dried shrimp, add them in the blender as well.

4. Blend all ingredients, but not the oil.

5. Heat the oil in a pan. Lower the heat and add the chilli paste.

6. Sauté the chilli paste for about 10 mins, stirring from time to time.

Finally, make the soup:

1. Bring the soup base to boil.

2. Add the mushrooms and tomatoes, then the chilli paste, kaffir lime leaves and lemongrass.

3. After 3 mins add the shrimps and simmer for another 2 minutes.

4. Stir in the fish sauce, lime juice and, if needed, more salt and sugar. Turn off the heat.

Serve Tom Yam with cooked Jasmine rice.

Do not eat the kaffir lime leaves and lemongrass, they are only there to add flavour.

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Tips & cheats

If you don’t like shellfish, make a chicken soup base. Substitute shrimp heads and shells with 300g chicken meat (with skin on and bone in). After 20 mins, check if the chicken is cooked. If not, cook for another 10 mins. Strain the stock so you are left with a clear soup base. You may end up with slightly less than 600ml of soup base, but this is ok.

Using two forks shred the cooked chicken meat and use it to replace the de-veined shrimps in the soup.