Tom yam, or Tom yum, is perhaps the most famous soup in Thailand.
Initially, it was cooked using fresh fish heads or dried fish, at a time when the Thai markets did not offer the quantity and variety of shrimp that would be found later.
Shrimp tom yum then became the most widespread: Tom yam kung – in Thai ต้มยำกุ้ง.
The two most common versions are tom yum goong nam sai, which is the clear broth shrimp soup (recipe follows), and tom yum goong nam khon, which is the creamy version with unsweetened condensed milk and the addition of chili sauce, giving it not only more spiciness but also a beautiful color.
It is recommended to clean the shrimp and remove their heads, boil them separately, and add the resulting broth during preparation to enhance the flavor.
Another Thai soup on the blog:
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Cheap
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 4 servings
- Cooking methods: Boiling
- Cuisine: Thai
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
- 2.2 lbs shrimp
- 3.5 oz oyster or pleurotus mushrooms (or champignons)
- 2 fresh chilies
- 2 tbsps fish sauce *
- to taste galangal (or ginger)
- 2 leaves kaffir lime
- 2 lemongrass
- 1.7 fl oz coconut milk
- to taste coriander
- to taste salt
Preparation
Clean the shrimp and put the scraps in a pot, cover with cold water (at least 1 quart) and bring to a slow boil.
Place the shrimp in the refrigerator covered with plastic wrap.
Slice the lemongrass thinly after washing it, and add to the fish broth.
Slice the galangal and add to the broth with the kaffir lime leaves.
Add the chilies cut in half lengthwise with all the seeds.
Let it boil for at least 30 minutes.
In the meantime, after washing and cleaning them from soil, dice or slice the mushrooms and set them aside.
Strain the broth and add it, at a low boil, along with the fish sauce.
Add the shrimp, mushrooms, and coconut milk. Adjust the salt.
Serve in bowls, with fresh coriander and a squeeze of lime.
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* Fermented fish sauce is typical of Thai cuisine. You can also purchase it online: Squid Fish Sauce – 700 ml 6.00 €
