Recipe byThe ZestyPlate Kitchen
A hot-and-sour Thai soup built on a prawn-shell broth with mushrooms, lime leaves, fish sauce and chilli jam. Aromatic and warming.
What lifts this tom yum above the usual is the broth. Simmer the prawn heads first and you draw out a savoury depth that a stock cube alone never manages. Lemongrass, galangal and makrut lime leaves carry the fragrance, while a spoonful of coconut milk and chilli jam rounds off the hot-and-sour edge. The result is the kind of bowl you would happily order out.
Jump to recipe
Prep 15 min
Cook 30 min
Total 45 min
Medium
Scale:
- 200g Onion
- 150g Tomato
- 20g Red Chilli
- 15g Galangal
- 2 Lemongrass Stalks
- 250g Raw King Prawns
- 1 Chicken Stock Cube
- 120g Oyster Mushrooms
- 8 Makrut Lime Leaves
- 25 ml Fish Sauce
- 25 ml Lime Juice
- 70 ml Coconut Milk
- 1 tblsp Thai Chilli Jam
- Handful Coriander
Tags:
Soup
Preparation
- Pour 1.3 litres water into a large saucepan over high heat. Add the onion, tomato, chilli, galangal, lemongrass, prawn heads and chicken stock cube. Stir, bring to the boil, then lower to a medium heat and simmer for 20 minutes, until the liquid has reduced.
- Carefully strain the hot broth into a large heatproof bowl or jug and discard the prawn heads. Return the strained vegetables and herbs to the pan, pour the broth back over, then stir in the mushrooms and lime leaves. Cook for 3 minutes, until the mushrooms soften.
- Add 1 tbsp sugar, the fish sauce, lime juice, coconut milk and prawns. Bring back to the boil and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, just until the prawns are done, then take off the heat. Lift out the lemongrass and stir through the Thai chilli jam if using. Scatter over the coriander to finish, if you like, and serve.
Tips from the ZestyPlate Kitchen
- Don't waste the prawn heads. Simmer them in the broth, then strain, and you get far more savoury flavour than from stock alone.
- Drop the prawns in only at the very end so they stay plump and tender rather than rubbery.
- Taste and adjust with fish sauce, lime and a pinch of sugar until the balance of hot, sour and salty feels right.
- A spoonful of chilli jam stirred in off the heat adds warmth and a gentle richness.
Frequently Asked Questions
The heads and shells hold a lot of flavour. Simmering them gives you a broth with real savoury depth, well beyond what a stock cube can do on its own.
It is nam prik pao, a Thai paste that is sweet, faintly smoky and only mildly spicy. It brings a lovely roundness to the soup.
Use fewer chillies and a smaller amount of chilli jam. The broth stays aromatic and tasty even when it is mild.
Save this recipe, join ZestyPlate free
- Save your favourite recipes
- Build your own cookbooks
- Track what you've cooked
- New recipes in your inbox
Create free account
Already a member? Log in
Ratings & Reviews
Log in or create an account to rate this recipe.
No reviews yet, be the first to rate this recipe!
Comments (0)
Log in or create an account to join the conversation.
No comments yet, start the conversation!