Description
Ultimate Seafood Tom Yum is a classic Thai hot and sour soup bursting with fragrant herbs, fresh seafood, and bold flavors. This vibrant soup combines lemongrass, galangal, kaffir lime leaves, chilies, and a variety of seafood including shrimp, squid, mussels, and white fish, simmered to perfection and finished with a tangy splash of lime juice and spicy chili paste. It’s a comforting yet zesty dish perfect as a warming appetizer or a light meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Broth and Aromatics
- 4 cups water
- 1 stalk lemongrass (cut into 2-inch pieces and smashed)
- 5 slices galangal
- 4 kaffir lime leaves (torn)
- 3 Thai bird’s eye chilies (crushed)
- 1 small onion (quartered)
Seafood
- 200 grams shrimp (peeled and deveined)
- 150 grams squid (cleaned and sliced)
- 150 grams mussels or clams (cleaned)
- 100 grams white fish (cut into bite-sized pieces)
Vegetables and Mushrooms
- 200 grams mushrooms (straw mushrooms or oyster mushrooms)
Seasonings
- 3 tablespoons fish sauce
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 1 tablespoon Thai chili paste (nam prik pao)
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
Garnish
- Fresh cilantro
- Lime wedges
Instructions
- Prepare the broth: In a medium pot, bring 4 cups of water to a boil. Add smashed lemongrass, sliced galangal, torn kaffir lime leaves, crushed bird’s eye chilies, and quartered onion. Reduce the heat and simmer for 5–7 minutes until the broth becomes fragrant and infused with the herbs.
- Add mushrooms: Stir in the mushrooms and let them cook for 2–3 minutes in the simmering broth, allowing them to soften and absorb the flavors.
- Cook the seafood: Add the shrimp, squid, mussels, and white fish to the pot. Cook for about 3–4 minutes or until the seafood turns opaque and is thoroughly cooked through, taking care not to overcook.
- Season the soup: Stir in fish sauce, lime juice, Thai chili paste (nam prik pao), sugar, and salt. Mix well and taste the soup. Adjust the seasoning as needed to balance the spicy, sour, and salty flavors.
- Serve and garnish: Remove the pot from heat. Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish each serving with fresh cilantro leaves and lime wedges. Serve immediately for best flavor.
Notes
- For a creamy variation, add ¼ cup of evaporated milk or coconut milk just before adding the seasonings.
- Adjust the number of chilies to match your preferred level of heat.
- Use fresh seafood whenever possible for the best taste and texture.
