Tom Yum Kha

Tom Yum Kha – a comforting Thai soup that blends spicy, tangy, and creamy flavors in one bowl. Made with shrimp, lemongrass, galangal, and coconut milk, this Tom Yum Kha Soup is pure warmth and balance ready in just 35 minutes.

Prep Time: 15 minutes mins
Cook Time: 20 minutes mins
Servings: 4

Ingredients

• ▢ 20 oz whole shrimps with heads and shells
• ▢ 3 stalks lemongrass minced
• ▢ 4 thai bird’s eye chilies smashed
• ▢ 6 garlic cloves smashed
• ▢ 10 kaffir lime leaves torn
• ▢ 1 piece galangal sliced
• ▢ 1 cup low sodium chicken broth
• ▢ 5 cups water

For the Soup

• ▢ 1 medium onion cut into wedges ½ inch thick
• ▢ 8 oz oyster mushrooms sliced
• ▢ 2 tomatoes cut into wedges
• ▢ 2 tsp sugar
• ▢ 6 tbsp fish sauce
• ▢ 5 tbsp lime juice
• ▢ ½ cup fresh coriander/cilantro leaves for garnish
• ▢ 3 tbsp thai roasted chili pste
• ▢ ⅔ cup coconut milk

Instructions 

• Remove the shells and heads from the shrimp, but keep them for the broth. Set the peeled shrimp meat aside.
• In a large pot, combine the shrimp heads and shells with lemongrass, Thai bird’s eye chilies, garlic, kaffir lime leaves, galangal, chicken broth, and water.
• Bring everything to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer gently for 10 minutes.
• Pour the broth through a fine strainer to remove the solids, keeping only the liquid.
• Return the strained broth to the pot. Add the onion and mushrooms, and simmer for about 3 minutes.
• Stir in the tomato wedges and cook for another minute.
• Add the shrimp meat and cook for 2 minutes, until it turns pink and opaque.
• Stir in the sugar, fish sauce, Thai roasted chili paste, coconut milk, and lime juice. Simmer for 1 more minute.
• Ladle the soup into bowls, garnish with fresh coriander, and serve hot.

Notes

Tips To Get That Perfect Thai Flavor

A few simple tweaks can turn a good soup into an unforgettable one. Here’s how to make your Tom Yum Kha taste just right:

• Don’t Rush The Broth: Let the shrimp shells, lemongrass, and galangal simmer slowly to release all their flavor.
• Balance The Flavors: Adjust to taste add more lime for tang, fish sauce for salt, or chili paste for heat.
• Add Coconut Milk Gently: Stir it in at the end to keep the soup creamy and smooth.
• Serve Fresh: The herbs and shrimp are at their best right after cooking that’s when the magic happens.

Nutrition

Calories: 169kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 2920mg | Potassium: 585mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 189IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 56mg | Iron: 3mg