- A deeply aromatic homemade stock — built from shrimp shells, galangal, lemongrass, makrut lime leaves, and cilantro stems — gives this tom yum goong an exceptional depth of flavor.
- Thai pantry staples like chile jam and fish sauce create a balanced hot and sour broth that’s bright and savory.
- The soup cooks quickly, finishing with just a brief simmer to keep the shrimp tender.
Tom Yum Goong, Thailand’s iconic hot and sour shrimp soup, is all about infusing bright flavor into a clear, lively stock with layers of aromatics and a few essential Thai pantry staples. Originating in central Thailand, it was first made in river communities that took full advantage of their surroundings, simmering fresh river shrimp with galangal, lemongrass, and other abundant herbs to create a bright, spicy, and tangy broth. Today, tom yum appears on almost every Thai restaurant menu and has become one of the cuisine’s most beloved and instantly recognizable dishes, celebrated for its balance of heat, acidity, and subtle sweetness.
This version starts with a homemade shrimp stock built from shrimp shells, aromatics, and herbs. Gently simmering the shells draws out their sweet, briny richness, while galangal, lemongrass, and citrusy makrut lime leaves layer in sharp, peppery, and floral notes, leaving you with an intensely fragrant base. That broth becomes the backdrop for plump shrimp, cherry tomatoes, and tender mushrooms. Fish sauce adds umami, and a hit of fresh lime juice lifts the entire soup. The heat from Thai chilies can be adjusted for milder or spicier versions.
A spoonful of Thai chile jam — nam prik pao — adds gentle smokiness and a slow, roasted heat that rounds out the chile-lime punch and gives the soup its signature gloss. While some ingredients may require a trip to an Asian grocery store, they are worth seeking out to make the tom yum truly sing. Fresh galangal and makrut lime leaves also freeze beautifully, so you can keep them on hand for future batches of tom yum or other aromatic Thai dishes.
What is galangal?
Galangal is a knobby rhizome in the ginger family, with sharper, more citrusy-peppery notes than ginger’s warm sweetness. Used widely in Southeast Asian cooking to add heat and fragrance, it’s essential in tom yum for its distinctive aroma and bite. Look for firm, heavy knobs with smooth, taut skin and a spicy scent at Asian grocery stores. Younger, smaller pieces are more tender and easier to slice; larger, older ones are tougher and more fibrous.
A note on Thai chile jam (nam prik pao)
Nam prik pao is a pantry staple in Thai kitchens, a thick, jammy chile paste built from dried spur chiles, garlic, shallots, and dried shrimp. The ingredients are typically charred first, concentrating their flavors into a smoky, sweet, and deeply savory paste used to season soups, salads, and stir-fries or serve as a table condiment. There’s no true substitute, though sambal oelek or another chile paste works in a pinch, but the dish’s final flavor will be less complex. Find Nam prik pao at Thai grocery stores or online at andalemarket.com.
Notes from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen
- Smashing the lemongrass, galangal, garlic, and chiles releases more flavor into the broth and makes them easier to strain out later.
- Drop shrimp into the hot broth just before serving. They’ll cook in one to two minutes and stay tender.
- Frozen lemongrass and lime leaves work just as well as fresh and are often easier to find. Check the freezer section at Asian grocery stores for frozen lemongrass and lime leaves.
This recipe was developed by Nok Suntaranon; the text was written by Andee Gosnell.
