Piping hot, spicy, aromatic and delicious Thai soup with chicken. Alternatively, you can replace Chicken with Prawns but either way this is a delicious soup that brings in all the flavours of Thai cooking.

Tom yum or tom yam is a type of hot and sour Thai soup, usually cooked with chicken or shrimp (prawn). Tom yum has its origins in Thailand. The words “tom yam” are derived from two Thai words. Tom refers to the boiling process, while yam means ‘mixed’. Tom yum is characterised by its distinct hot and sour flavours, with fragrant spices and herbs generously used in the broth. The soup is also made with fresh ingredients such as lemon grass, kaffir lime leaves, galangal, lime juice, and crushed red chilli peppers. This soup is sometimes eaten as a curry rather than a soup.

The kha in the name of the dish in Thai, actually means galangal – so it’s very important, and there’s really no substitute for the galangal. The base of any tom kha gai is coconut milk and you can’t make this amazing Thai soup without it. Another key ingredient are the kaffir lime leaves, but you don’t actually eat them  but boil them in the soup to release their wonderful flavour.

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Ingredients

To Make The Stock

• 750ml water
• 2 shallots, chopped
• 5-6 slices ginger/galangal
• 3 green chilies
• 3 coriander roots
• 2 cloves garlic
• 5-6 kaffir lime leaves
• 1 stick lemongrass

To Make The Soup

• 1/4 cup mushrooms, boiled
• 2tbsp coconut cream
• 1/4 cup boneless chicken, boiled and shredded
• 1/4 cup peas
• 2 tbsp fish sauce
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1tsp sugar
• 1/4 cup prawns, de-veined
• a handful of cherry tomatoes

To Garnish

• a small bunch of coriander leaves

Method

Step1: To Make The Stock

(1) To a pan, add the water.

(2) Next add the shallots, ginger/galangal, green chilies, coriander roots, garlic, kaffir lime leaves and lemongrass. 

(3) Boil this for at least 20-30 minutes, stirring in between.

(4) Once this is done, take it off the heat and stain the water out.

Step2: To Make The Soup

(5) Pour this stock back into the pan and put it on the heat.

(6) Add the mushrooms, coconut cream, chicken, peas, fish sauce, lemon juice, sugar and prawns, and let this cook for about 10 minutes.

(7) Finally, add the cherry tomatoes, bring it to one last boil, and take it off the heat.

Step3: To Serve

(8) Pout the hot soup into a serving bowl, and garnish with chopped coriander on top.

Method (Step-by-Step)

This is a list of ingredients.

To a pan add the water.

Next add the shallots, ginger/galangal, green chilies, coriander roots, garlic, kaffir lime leaves, lemongrass and cherry tomatoes.

And boil this for at least 20-30 minutes, stirring in between.

Take it off the heat and stain the water out.

This is the stock.

Pour this stock back into the pan and put it on the heat.

To that, add the mushrooms.

Then, add the coconut cream.

Next, add the chicken.

Add the peas.

Next, add the fish sauce.

Add the lemon juice.

Then, add the sugar.

Next, add the prawns.

And cook this for about 10 minutes.

Finally, add the cherry tomatoes.

Bring it to a boil, and take it off the heat.

Pout the hot soup into a serving bowl. 

Garnish with chopped coriander on top.

Serve hot.

Check out more Thai and Soup recipes on our website.