Hot & Sour Lemongrass Shrimp Soup
Submitted by benitaholzheimer
Tom yum-style hot and sour shrimp soup builds a fragrant broth from shrimp shells, lemongrass, lime peel, and chile, finished with fish sauce, lime juice, mint, and cilantro. Authentic Thai flavor.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
15 minCOOK
30 minREADY
45 minThis is a streamlined home-cook version of Thai tom yum goong, and the brilliant move that makes it work is the shrimp-shell broth. Saving the shells, searing them in oil, and simmering in chicken broth extracts a deep, sweet seafood essence that no fish stock or bouillon cube can match.
The aromatics, lemongrass, lime peel, and split jalapeño, infuse for 20 minutes before getting strained out, leaving a clear, perfumed broth ready for the actual eating. Slicing the shrimp horizontally is a Thai trick: more surface area, faster cook, and they curl into pretty butterfly shapes.
Fish sauce and lime juice go in at the end, off the boil. High heat dulls fish sauce’s funk and kills lime juice’s brightness. Adding them late preserves the sharp, salty-sour character that defines hot and sour soup.
The garnish is the finish, not optional. Mint, cilantro, scallion, and slivered chile go on top of the bowl just before serving for layered fresh herb notes that hit your nose with every spoonful.
Pro Tips
- Bruise the lemongrass stalks with the back of a knife before adding. Crushing the fibers releases far more aromatic oil.
- Use only the pale yellow lime peel, not the white pith. Pith turns the broth bitter.
- Don’t overcook the shrimp. Two minutes at a simmer is plenty. Past that and they go rubbery.
- Make the broth ahead of time. The shrimp-shell stock holds up to 3 days refrigerated and improves by day two.
Variations
- Add 2 tablespoons of Thai chili paste (nam prik pao) for a richer, oilier red broth closer to restaurant tom yum.
- Stir in coconut milk at the end for a tom kha (creamy version).
- Substitute oyster mushrooms for straw if you can’t find canned straw mushrooms.
Ingredients
Directions
Shell the shrimp, rinse the shells and pat them dry.
Cut the shrimp in half horizontally and rinse out the sand veins.
Place a large pot over high heat until hot.
Add the oil, swirling to coat the surface.
Add the shrimp shells; cook until they turn pink, about 30 seconds.
Add the brooth, lemon grass, lime peel, and chile.
Bring to aboil over high heat.
Reduce the heat to medioum-low, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes.
Strain the broth, discarding the seasonings.
Return the broth to the pot and heat to simmering.
Add the shrimp and straw mushrooms and cook until the shrimp turn pink, about 2 minutes.
Stir in the lime juice and fish sauce.
To serve, lade into individual soup bowls.
Garnish with green onion, cilantro, mint leaves and chile.
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