I love this soup so I had to share it with you. I discovered it on our vacation to Thailand in February and have since practiced making it. Tom Yum Goong is a potent herbal mixture and not just famous for its taste but also well known for its medicinal qualities. After eating it I feel so much better. I found out that Tom Yum Goong is probably the most famous of Thai soups and is popular not only in Thailand but in Thai restaurants worldwide. It is a clear, sour soup flavored with fragrant lemongrass, fresh galangal root and kaffir lime leaf.
Ingredients
The ingredients might seem a little intimidating but if you go to a local asian market they will have all the ingredients and you can even freeze them.
4 Servings:
- 4 cups of water
- 2 stalks fresh lemongrass, trim off the very end of the root and smash with the side of a cleaver or chef’s knife; cut into 1 inch pieces; or 2 pc dried
- 3 slices fresh galangal root
- 3 fresh kaffir lime leaves
- 1 tbsp. tamarind paste
- 1 tbsp. fish sauce
- 3/4 lb shrimps, medium to large size
- 12 fresh Thai chili peppers, whole or 2 medium sized jalepenos, cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch strips
- 1/2 small white onion, cut 1/4 inch slices
- 2 tbsp. roasted chili paste (nam prik pao)
- 1 (16 oz.) can straw mushrooms, drained and rinsed
- 1 small ripe tomato, cut into wedges 1/4 inch thick
Preparation
Bring water to boil over high heat in a medium-sized saucepan. Add the lemon grass, galangal, kaffir lime leaf, fish sauce and tamarind paste. Add the shrimp, bring to a boil and cook 3 minutes. Add the onion, nam prik pao and straw mushrooms. Boil for another 7 minutes until the shrimp is cooked through. Add the chile peppers and tomatoes. Turn off the heat. Add the lime juice. Taste to adjust the seasoning, adding fish sauce to taste. Garnish with cilatantro, roasted whole chili peppers and a splash of coconut mik if desired and serve hot.
- 1 small lime, squeezed
- 2 sprigs fresh cilantro
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