STangy and sweet and sour, this classic Thai soup is just what I crave this time of year: it’s something to cut through the pleasant festive fug and reset the senses. Although shellfish are a common ingredient, this soup is almost endlessly adaptable, even for vegans: as long as it is vibrant with flavor – aromatic lime leaves and lemongrass, warming galangal and fresh citrus – you’re on your way. right way.
Preperation 12 minutes
to cook 15 minutes
Serves 4
16 raw prawns, peeled
1 dash of vegetable oil
4 fresh lime makrut leaves
2 stems of lemongrass
2 thick slices of galangal
2 bird peppers
1 tablespoon of palm sugar, or soft brown sugar
Juice of 1½ limes
2 tablespoons of fish sauce
1 handful of coriander or Thai basil leaves, to serve
1 A note about prawns
You will need raw, peeled shrimp here. Frozen foods are good, as long as they’re thawed and soft enough to peel, but if your shrimp are very large (or very small), adjust the amounts accordingly. If you only find peeled shrimp, use a quart of light fish or chicken broth (or even just water) and start at step 3.
2 Make a broth with the shrimp shells
Shell the shrimp, keeping the shells and heads, and reserve the flesh for now. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat, then fry the shells and heads, stirring regularly, until they turn bright pink.
Add a liter of water, bring to a lively boil, then strain into a clean saucepan and discard the spent shells.
3 Prepare the herbs
Roughly tear the linden leaves (avoid using the dried kind here: frozen is fine, but fresh is infinitely better and quite widely available). Crush the lemongrass by pressing on it with the flat of a large knife, then cut it into sections of about 5 cm.
Cut two thick slices of galangal – this ginger-like root is sold in specialty food stores in Southeast Asia and some large supermarkets, but use ginger if you can’t get hold of it.
4 Infuse the broth
Add the lime leaves, lemongrass and galangal to the pot, bring to a boil again, then simmer gently and steep for five minutes. Meanwhile, thinly slice the peppers, leaving the marrow and seeds inside (depending on your taste for the spices, add more, if desired). Slide the peppers into the broth and let the broth stand for a few more minutes.
5 Add the prawns
Lower the heat to minimum, add the shrimp meat to the broth and cook for about a minute, until they are just pink (be careful not to let the broth boil or cook the prawns too long, otherwise they will will become rubbery).
Remove from the heat, stir in the sugar, lime juice and fish sauce, then taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.
6 Serve with lots of fresh herbs
Pour the soup into bowls, making sure the shrimp are evenly distributed, then tear up the fresh herbs in generous amounts and serve immediately.
It’s not traditional, but you can make the soup bigger by adding cooked rice noodles if you want to make it a more substantial dish, or by adding other vegetables such as chopped tomatoes, mushrooms, or whatever you like. pleases.
7 alternatives to shellfish
If you’re not a shellfish fan, prepare it with a good chicken broth and add some ripped cooked chicken (or pork or turkey) at the end, just to warm it up. There is also a more modern and richer variant of tom yum in which coconut or evaporated milk is added at the end of cooking: if you like, prepare only 750 ml of broth and add 300 ml of milk. coconut with seasonings just before serving.
8… or to vegetate
To prepare this vegan dish, use vegetable broth or water and add two round shallots, peeled and cut into quarters, as well as the herbs from step 3. Add two seeded and coarsely chopped tomatoes and 200 g oyster mushrooms , shiitake and / or chopped chestnuts with peppers. Vegan versions of fish sauce are available, and I would recommend buying some for this dish.
9 Other flavors
Vegan or not, you can also add firm diced tofu in place of shrimp; I also find it quite nice with those fried tofu puffs sold in specialty food stores in Southeast Asia. Take a jar of nam prik pao while you’re at it: this rich and sweet chili paste, also available in vegetarian form, is a great addition to tom yum and many other dishes.
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