Name: Shrimp Tom Yum
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 6 cups shrimp broth; 3 slices galangal (dried is fine); 2 whole stalks lemongrass (tied into a bundle); 2 shallots (peeled and halved); 2 pairs kaffir lime leaves (center ribs removed and discarded); 2 bird's eye chilies (slit); 2 tomatoes (cut into wedges); 24 shelled shrimps ((see notes after the recipe)); fish sauce; lime juice ((see notes after the recipe)); torn cilantro (to garnish)

Shrimp Tom Yum

Connie Veneracion

Cooked with fresh lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, galangal, lime juice, fish sauce and crushed red chilies, shrimp tom yum is Thailand in a bowl.

Prep Time 5 mins

Cook Time 15 mins

Total Time 20 mins

Course Soup

Cuisine Thai

Servings people

Ingredients

6 cups shrimp broth
3 slices galangal dried is fine
2 whole stalks lemongrass tied into a bundle
2 shallots peeled and halved
2 pairs kaffir lime leaves center ribs removed and discarded
2 bird's eye chilies slit
2 tomatoes cut into wedges
24 shelled shrimps (see notes after the recipe)
fish sauce
lime juice (see notes after the recipe)
torn cilantro to garnish

Instructions

Pour the broth into a pot and bring to the boil.
Drop the galangal slices, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, chilies and tomatoes into the broth. Lower the heat. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
Add the shrimps to the broth.
If the broth is unseasoned or underseasoned, add fish sauce.
Cover the pot once more and simmer for five minutes, or just long enough to cook the shrimps but without overcooking them.
Taste the broth. Add more fish sauce, if needed.
Drizzle in the lime juice, a tablespoonful at a time, tasting and adding as you go along until a good balance of salty and sour is achieved.
Ladle your hot and sour shrimp tom yum into bowls, sprinkle with cilantro and serve immediately.

Notes

Traditional shrimp tom yum uses unshelled shrimps, heads attached, which when simmered make a richly flavored broth. You may use frozen shelled shrimps AND shrimp broth without losing flavor.

Juice from regular limes is traditional for tom yum, but we have a kaffir lime tree and we use the juice from its fruit. If lime juice isn’t available, go ahead and use lemon or kalamansi juice.

Updated from a recipe originally published in 04/10/2020

Keyword Shrimps, Spicy

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