Tom yum with shrimp and coconut milk
Tom yum is the soup that made Thailand famous: sour from lime, hot from chili, fragrant from lemongrass, rounded off with coconut milk. Peeled shrimp do the hard part: three minutes in the broth, right at the end. The secret is the order: coconut milk never boils hard, and lime goes in off the heat.
Instructions
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Thaw the shrimp
Hold the shrimp under cold running water for 10 minutes, then drain and pat dry. They come peeled and deveined, so there is nothing to clean. From 500 g glazed you get about 400 g of shrimp, exactly right for four bowls.
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Infuse the broth ⏱ 10 min
Put the water in a pot with the bruised lemongrass and ginger slices. Bring to a boil, then simmer 10 minutes with the lid on. This is where the soup gets its perfume, do not skip it. For a clear bowl remove the stalks now, Thai style leaves them in.
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Add the mushrooms ⏱ 4 min
Drop the quartered mushrooms into the aromatic broth and cook 4 minutes over medium heat, soft but still with bite.
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Tomatoes and seasoning
Add the tomatoes, fish sauce, sugar and sriracha. Two more minutes, until the tomato edges soften. Taste: it should be salty and spicy, the sour part comes at the end.
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Coconut milk, low heat
Pour in the coconut milk and stir. From here keep the heat low: a hard boil splits the coconut milk and leaves grease on top. Hold it just under a simmer for a minute or two.
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Shrimp, exactly 3 minutes ⏱ 3 min
Add the shrimp and set a timer: 3 minutes, until pink and opaque. Any longer means rubber. If you use precooked shrimp, one minute is enough, just to heat through.
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Lime, off the heat
Kill the heat, then squeeze the lime juice straight into the pot. On the flame it turns bitter and splits the coconut milk. Taste the balance: sour, salty, spicy, faintly sweet. Adjust with lime, fish sauce or sriracha.
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Cilantro and serve
Divide between bowls, scatter fresh cilantro and serve with lime wedges. Great on its own or over jasmine rice. Eat it hot, with a big spoon.
Good to know
Three mistakes ruin tom yum at home: lime boiled in the soup (turns bitter), coconut milk at a hard boil (it splits) and shrimp forgotten in the pot (rubber). No lemongrass? Use grated lime zest and double the ginger. For the fully authentic version, swap the sriracha for a teaspoon of Thai chili paste, nam prik pao.
Frequently asked questions
Can I make tom yum with precooked shrimp?
Yes, but add them in the last minute, just to heat through. Boiled twice they turn rubbery.
What can replace lemongrass?
Grated lime zest and double the ginger. Not identical in perfume, but the sour and spicy balance holds.
How spicy does it get?
With one tablespoon of sriracha, medium. Adjust at the end: more sriracha for heat, more coconut milk for mild.
What do I serve with tom yum?
On its own as a light course, or with jasmine rice cooked separately. Rice vermicelli dropped straight in the bowl works too.
Ready to cook Seriosly?
Authentic taste isn't improvised, it's taken Seriosly.
Tom yum with shrimp and coconut milk
Tom yum with shrimp and coconut milk
Tom yum is the soup that made Thailand famous: sour from lime, hot from chili, fragrant from lemongrass, rounded off with coconut milk. Peeled shrimp do the hard part: three minutes in the broth, right at the end. The secret is the order: coconut milk never boils hard, and lime goes in off the heat.
Notes
Three mistakes ruin tom yum at home: lime boiled in the soup (turns bitter), coconut milk at a hard boil (it splits) and shrimp forgotten in the pot (rubber). No lemongrass? Use grated lime zest and double the ginger. For the fully authentic version, swap the sriracha for a teaspoon of Thai chili paste, nam prik pao.
