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Authentic Shrimp Tom Yum Goong Soup

A close-up of a bowl of tom yum soup featuring plump shrimp, cherry tomatoes, mushrooms, and cilantro.
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Make the best homemade Tom Yum Goong, a famous Thai hot and sour shrimp soup. This recipe delivers the signature spicy, sour, and aromatic flavor in under 35 minutes for a quick weeknight dinner.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 6 cups chicken or vegetable broth
  • 1 pound raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • 2 stalks lemongrass, tough outer layers removed, cut into 2-inch pieces, bruised
  • 1 inch galangal, thinly sliced
  • 6 kaffir lime leaves, torn slightly
  • 2–3 Thai chilies, crushed (adjust to your heat preference)
  • 1/4 cup fish sauce (or vegan fish sauce for a vegan option)
  • 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  • 1 cup straw mushrooms or button mushrooms, halved
  • 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 2 tablespoons chili paste in oil (Nam Prik Pao)
  • Fresh cilantro, chopped, for garnish

Instructions

  1. Combine the broth, bruised lemongrass, sliced galangal, and torn kaffir lime leaves in a large pot. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat.
  2. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes to infuse the broth with the aromatics. This creates your aromatic Thai broth base.
  3. Strain the broth to remove the lemongrass, galangal, and kaffir lime leaves. Return the clear broth to the pot and bring it back to a gentle simmer.
  4. Add the crushed Thai chilies and chili paste in oil to the broth. Stir until the paste dissolves.
  5. Add the mushrooms and tomatoes. Cook for 2 minutes until the mushrooms soften slightly.
  6. Add the shrimp. Cook for 2-3 minutes until the shrimp turn pink and opaque. Do not overcook.
  7. Remove the pot from the heat. Stir in the fish sauce, fresh lime juice, and brown sugar. Taste and adjust seasoning—add more lime for sourness or fish sauce for saltiness.
  8. Ladle the hot and sour soup into bowls. Garnish generously with fresh cilantro before serving your quick Thai dinner.

Notes

  • For a Vegan Tom Yum option, substitute shrimp with firm tofu cubes and use vegan fish sauce.
  • If you cannot find fresh galangal, use ginger as a substitute, though the flavor profile will change slightly.
  • To achieve a creamy texture, stir in 1/4 cup of evaporated milk or coconut milk during the final step, transforming it into Tom Yum Nam Khon.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://alchemychef.com/authentic-shrimp-tom-yum-soup-recipe/