Tom yum kung (sour-spicy Thai prawn soup)

Perhaps Thailand's most famous soup: a clear, fragrant broth with lemongrass, galangal and lime leaf, with tender prawns. The balance of sour, spicy and salty gives it its character.

Open in Receptnaptár — serving calculator, cook mode, save

Method

Tap a step once you've finished it.

1. Peel the prawns, cut a slit along the back and remove the vein. Set the heads and shells aside.
2. Bring the prawn shells to the boil with the water, and simmer over low heat for 10 minutes, then strain; this gives a more flavourful stock. ⏱ Timer: 10 min
3. Add the lemongrass, galangal and the torn kaffir lime leaves to the stock, and cook for 5 minutes, to release their aroma. ⏱ Timer: 5 min
4. Add the mushrooms, tomato and bruised chillies, and cook for a further 3 minutes. ⏱ Timer: 3 min
5. Stir in the chilli paste, fish sauce and sugar, then add the prawns, and cook for just 2 minutes, until pink. ⏱ Timer: 2 min
6. Take off the heat, and only now add the lime juice (it would turn bitter if cooked). Taste: it should be sour, salty and spicy all at once; adjust with fish sauce or lime as needed.
7. Sprinkle with coriander leaves, and serve hot. The lemongrass and galangal are not eaten, they're just for flavour.

A Receptnaptár original recipe. Calories and protein are estimated.

Tips

• For a creamier 'nam khon' version, stir in 100 ml coconut milk or evaporated milk at the end.
• Lemongrass, galangal and kaffir lime leaf keep well frozen together, so you can always have them on hand.
• Don't cook the prawns for more than 2 minutes, or they'll turn rubbery.

Similar recipes

• Yam woon sen (glass noodle salad with prawns) · Southeast Asian
• Ebi chiri (prawns in sweet-spicy tomato sauce) · Japanese
• Sambal udang (prawns in spicy sambal) · Southeast Asian
• Bún riêu cua (tomato crab noodle soup) · Southeast Asian
• Garlic butter prawn spaghetti (scampi) · Italian
• Salt and pepper prawns · Chinese

More southeast asian ideas

• Cá nướng (lemongrass grilled fish)
• Tôm rim (sweet-salty caramelised prawns)
• Adobong pusit (squid in its own ink with vinegar)
• Paksiw na isda (fish braised in vinegar)
• Ikan bakar (spiced fish grilled in banana leaf)
• Gulai ikan (fish curry in turmeric coconut sauce)
• Pad cha talay (spicy stir-fried seafood with green pepper)
• Khao tom (Thai rice soup with pork)

How to use it · Privacy (in Hungarian) · Legal notice (in Hungarian) · Editorial principles (in Hungarian) · Cookie settings

Language: Magyar · Español · Deutsch