Tom Yum
Thailand's iconic hot and sour prawn soup, delivering a fiery kick of chili and lime.
Serves: 3 · Prep: 15 min · Cook: 10 min · Total: 25 min · Level: Easy
The Story Behind the Dish
Tom Yum Goong - prawn soup - is the dish most visitors associate with Thai cooking. The broth is clear, hot, and sour: lemongrass, galangal, kaffir lime leaves, and fresh chilies simmered in water, then sharpened with lime juice and fish sauce right at the end. No coconut milk, no cream - the flavor stands entirely on its aromatics.
The prawns go in for the last two minutes - long enough to turn pink, not long enough to tighten. Timing is the whole lesson. Mushrooms and tomatoes go in just before the prawns. The soup should arrive at the table fragrant, spicy, and slightly sour, the heat from the chilies landing a beat after the first sip. A staple of street stalls across Thailand and one of the dishes we teach in every Chiang Mai cooking class.
Key Ingredients
- Lemongrass
- Prawn
- Mushroom
- Galangal
- Thai Chilli Paste
Base Flavors
- Kaffir Lime Leaf
- Lime
- Coconut Milk
- Drinking Water
- Turmeric
- Tomato
- Onion
- Coriander
- Green Onion
Recipe Directions
- Slice the lemongrass on the diagonal.
- Slice the galangal into thin rounds.
- Add the aromatics to a boiling pot of broth.
- Lower in the raw shrimp with the tomatoes and mushrooms.
- Stir in red chili paste and kaffir lime leaves, then squeeze in fresh lime juice.
- Garnish with fresh cilantro and serve piping hot.
What people ask the most
What is Tom Yum soup?
Tom Yum is Thailand's most famous soup: a clear, hot-and-sour broth of lemongrass, galangal, kaffir lime, and chilies. Enjoyed nationwide, it is best known as the prawn version, Tom Yum Goong. Cook it in our Evening Class.
What is Tom Yum paste and why is it added at the end?
A concentrated blend of roasted chilies, shrimp paste, lemongrass, and galangal. We add it after the heat is off to preserve the aroma and stop the coconut milk splitting. We teach this in our cooking classes.
Can I learn to make Tom Yum at Thai Akha Kitchen?
Yes. Tom Yum is one of the three soups you can choose in both our Morning Class with Market Tour and our Evening Class. At your own station you make it from scratch with fresh herbs, learning both the clear and creamy coconut versions. Check our available dates.
Can Tom Yum be made vegan or vegetarian?
Yes. Replace prawns with tofu or mushrooms, swap fish sauce for soy, and use vegetable stock. For every swap we make, see our vegan Thai cooking guide.
What are the health benefits of Tom Yum soup?
Lemongrass is antimicrobial, galangal aids digestion, and chilies boost circulation. Thai families have used it for centuries to ease colds and restore energy, the original food as medicine.
What is the difference between Tom Yum and Tom Kha?
Tom Yum is clear, sour, and fiery, with no coconut milk. Tom Kha uses coconut milk for a creamy, gentler base. Tom Yum wakes you up; Tom Kha wraps around you.
Why is Tom Yum considered one of Thailand's national dishes, and what does the original recipe look like?
Tom Yum earned national status because it uses only native Thai ingredients: lemongrass, galangal, kaffir lime, and chilies. Before prawns became standard, any protein was used. We teach the hand-pounded paste, not a jar. Read about Tom Yum and browse our recipe collection.
What is the best cooking class in Chiang Mai to learn Tom Yum and authentic Thai soups?
Look for a class that teaches technique, not just assembly. We build the aromatics from fresh herbs, explain the sequence, and cover both clear and coconut versions in small groups. Our Morning Class with Market Tour includes herb selection. See why guests rate us on TripAdvisor.