A tasty Thai shrimp soup is called tom Yum. The soup itself contains fresh herbs, lemongrass and kaffir leaves, as well as shrimp and coconut milk. The preparation is quite simple.
Tom Yum Ingredients
- 1750 ml of water or chicken stock with a tablespoon of clarified butter
- 650 g large, fresh or frozen shrimps
- 400 ml can of coconut milk
- three heaped spoons of prepared about 60 grams of tom yum paste
- Three tablespoons of prepared paste or finely chopped lemongrass – up to fifty grams
- Four to five Thai lemon (kaffir) leaves – fresh, frozen or dried
- Four teaspoons of freshly squeezed lime juice (I add extra
- Three tablespoons of fish sauce (not the same as oyster sauce)
- a small bunch of parsley or coriander
- Two cloves of garlic, chopped or sliced
- Three pieces of fresh ginger for galangal; optional
Additional ingredients for the dish
Two 200 g dry rice noodles, such as ribbons with a diameter of 5 mm
400 grams of fresh tomatoes or diced tomatoes in a can
fresh parsley or coriander
Tom Yum Soup
Step 1: Start by heating the broth.
Pour 1750 ml (7 cups) of fine chicken stock or plain water into a large pot and add a tablespoon of clarified butter. Immediately add three tablespoons (60 grams) of ready-made Tom Yum paste, three tablespoons of chopped lemongrass or ready-made paste (50 grams) and four to five Thai limoni (kaffir) leaves, fresh, frozen or dried. Additionally, you can add three thinly sliced, unpeeled pieces of fresh ginger root. Heat the broth until it boils. Lower the burner temperature to the lowest setting and simmer, covered, for ten minutes (or slightly longer).
Tip: Another option is to use frozen whole lemongrass. Before serving the soup, add a few pieces that are difficult to remove.
Step 2: Prepare the shrimp
Prepare about 650 grams (I used about 40 pieces) of large shrimps (tiger or king) in advance or while cooking the broth. First, remove the stems from any fresh, uncleaned shrimp you may have. Then remove the armor and possibly the tail. Finally, remove the black intestines of the shrimp by gently tapping it on the back.
After quickly rinsing the shrimp in cold water, pat them dry with paper towels. Frozen shrimp that have been blanched or cooked should already be thoroughly cleaned; no further action is required. All you need to do is let them thaw naturally, deglaze and dry with paper towels.
After thawing, you should check the frozen raw shrimp, note their frozen state on the container, and they may even be gilded, e.g. by dark intestines. To speed up the defrosting process, place the shrimp in a container with slightly warm water.
Step 3: Add coconut milk and shrimp.
Once the dish has cooked for ten minutes, add two peeled, chopped or sliced garlic cloves, 650 grams of shrimp and a 400 gram can of coconut milk (containing at least 60% coconut extract) to the pot.
Pour in at least four tablespoons of freshly squeezed lime juice and three tablespoons of fish sauce. Once everything is mixed, return to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover the soup with a lid and simmer for about five minutes. Then add a small handful of finely chopped parsley or coriander.
Taste the soup when it is ready. If it turns out to be too mild, you can add additional Tom Yum paste or, for example, chili paste.
Tip: In addition to shrimp, you can also add about 200 grams of enoki mushrooms.
Step 4: Cook the pasta and add the tomatoes
Since there is a lot of soup, I suggest preparing 400 grams of rice noodles (I use 5 mm long ribbons). After cooking, I had about 1150 grams of pasta left. Transfer some pasta to a plate or bowl. Add two teaspoons of chopped canned tomatoes or a handful of finely chopped tomatoes.
Step 5: Cover the part with the heated soup.
Pour the prepared Tom Yum soup over the prepared piece. Finally, add a slice of lime and a few coriander leaves. I recommend using a spoon and chopsticks for the soup.
Enjoy your meal.
