Tom Yum Soup
Share
I thought I would celebrate the addition of Greendale mushrooms to the lineup with my favorite soup, tom yum. by Noemie & Pedro
-
This version is based off tom yum kathi, which uses coconut cream as its base. Tom yum nam sai is the clear broth, while nam khon is the more familiar version with prawns (AKA tom yum goong. I’m going to level with you; There are more names for this soup than I can keep straight. Apologies if I have clowned it on one or all these!)
-
I’m going off the traditional path with a quickfire version using the common tom yum paste found in most supermarkets. The option to go all in with the proper herbs and what not is listed after the recipe. Fair warning, the cost and the time to collect the ingredients rises steeply to have chunks of galangal and kaffir floating in your broth.
-
Tom yum originated in Central Thailand. It translates as tom ‘to boil’ and yum as ‘mixed’ referring to the hot, sweet, deep array of flavours on offer. With that loose translation in mind, we can throw ingredients in the pot with a little laissez faire.
-
Quick fire version
I went with carrot, bok choy, red cabbage, capsicum, spinach and chickpeas in my tom yum. I have listed the basics but feel free to adlib with what you have in the fridge. All you need to do is decide whether you want to fry the vege in the first step or add it after the liquids to simmer. Nam prik pao or sambel oelek are also worth experimenting with for depth of flavour and spice. I didn’t have any to hand, so I have left them out of this recipe. Have a nudge!
- 1 can chopped tomatoes
- 1 can coconut cream
- 5 mushroom, sliced
- 1 onion, sliced
- 1 fresh chilli
- 2 cloves garlic, diced
- 2 TB soy sauce
- 3 TB tom yum
- 2TB sugar
- 1 lime, juice & zest
- 2 tomatoes, chopped
- Mung beans
- Coriander to taste
-
1)Fry your onion, garlic and mushroom, fresh chilli in oil till coloured. (I added my julienne carrot and caps in this step)
2)Add the diced tomatoes and coconut milk, plus tom yum paste, sugar, soy sauce, and lime juice. Bring to a simmer, then add your remaining vege. (This is when I added my shredded cabbage, chickpeas and Bok choy)
3)Taste test. Add water if too creamy for your taste, or continue to reduce if a thicker, stronger consistency is desired. Add soy sauce, vege stock or fish sauce to make saltier if necessary. Add cracked pepper and lime zest to season.
3)Finish with chopped coriander and mung beans. Voila!
The real deal (Sub for the 3TB tom yum paste)
2 stalks lemongrass
5 kaffir lime leaves
1 knob of galangal (or ginger)
2 TB fish sauce
Nam prik pao or sambal oelek
Bruise your lemon grass to help release its oils while cooking. Chop your galangal/ginger in good sized chunks. Add these, your kaffir lime leaf, fish sauce and spice paste just before adding the coconut milk and crushed tomato. Simmer, taste test and season.