Tom Yum Goong - Savouring Southeast Asia

Tom yum goong is the hot-and-sour shrimp soup that defines Thai cooking: fiercely aromatic, tingling with chili, and bright with lime.

The first move is what gives the broth its depth. Frying the reserved shrimp shells until they turn bright orange pulls out their flavor, building a quick seafood stock right in the pot before the chicken broth even goes in. Don’t toss those shells.

Then come the holy trinity of Thai aromatics, lemongrass, galangal, and kaffir lime leaves, simmered to perfume the broth and then strained out, so you’re left with pure fragrance and no woody bits.

The balance is everything. Fish sauce brings the salt, lime juice the sour, and Thai chili paste and fresh chilies the heat. Add the lime and fish sauce at the very end, off the heat, and taste as you go until it sings: salty, sour, and spicy all at once.

Chef Tips

• Fry the shrimp shells until bright orange before adding the broth; that’s where the deep seafood flavor comes from.
• Smash the lemongrass and galangal to release their oils, then strain them out so no one bites into a fibrous piece.
• Add the shrimp last and cook just 1 to 2 minutes; they turn rubbery the moment they overcook.
• Season with fish sauce and lime off the heat, tasting until the salty-sour-spicy balance is right.

Variations

• Stir in a splash of coconut milk for tom yum nam khon, the creamy version.
• Use straw or oyster mushrooms for a more traditional texture.
• Swap the shrimp for chicken or a mix of seafood.