Thai Hot & Sour Shrimp Soup
Submitted by SISTER17
Thai hot and sour shrimp soup (Tom Yum Goong) with lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, chile paste, and straw mushrooms. A bright, aromatic broth built from shrimp shell stock.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
20 minCOOK
20 minREADY
40 minThis Thai hot and sour shrimp soup is essentially a homemade Tom Yum Goong, and the secret is simmering the shrimp shells right in the broth with crushed lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves. That 20-minute simmer extracts all the sweet, briny flavor from the peels that most recipes just throw away.
The balance of sour lime juice, salty fish sauce, and fiery chile paste is where this soup lives or dies. Taste and adjust after straining. You want a broth that hits all three notes at once, sharp and clean with a slow burn building behind it.
Straw mushrooms go in ahead of the shrimp so they soak up the broth, and the shrimp cook in just two minutes right before serving. Fresh chilies and cilantro go straight into the bowl as garnish.
Pro Tips
- Crush the lemongrass stalks with the flat side of a knife before cutting. This releases the aromatic oils and infuses the broth faster.
- Don’t overcook the shrimp. Two minutes in boiling broth is all they need. They should be just opaque and curled, not rubbery.
- The soup base can be made ahead and stored before adding shrimp. Reheat and add the shrimp right before serving for the freshest texture.
- Fresh kaffir lime leaves make a real difference, but if you can’t find them, finely grated lemon zest is a reasonable stand-in.
Variations
- Use coconut milk in place of some broth for a Tom Kha-style creamy version.
- Substitute sliced chicken breast for shrimp and simmer a few minutes longer.
- Add halved cherry tomatoes and a squeeze of tamarind paste for extra tang.
Ingredients
Directions
Wash the unpeeled shrimp well. Peel and devain them, keeping the peelings. Wash the shrimp again and pat them dry.
Cut 3 X 2” pieces from each stick of lemon grass starting from the bottom end, and crush lightly. Discard the top.
Combine the stock, lemon grass, lime leaves and shrimp peelings in a pan. Bring to a boil and simmer gently for 20 minutes. Strain. Add fish sauce, lime juice and chile paste. Adjust seasoning if required (Fish sauce and lime juice).
Add the drained mushrooms. The soup can be stored like this.
Before serving cut the chilies into very fine rounds. Wash and dry the coriander leaves.
Bring soup to a boil. Add shrimp and cook 2 minutes or until the shrimp are opaque. Add garnishes to serving bowl(s).
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