Tom Yum Gai Thai Soup (Printable)

Tender chicken in aromatic spicy-sour broth with mushrooms, tomatoes, and fragrant Thai herbs.

# Components:

→ Chicken

01 - 12 oz boneless, skinless chicken breast or thighs, thinly sliced

→ Broth

02 - 5 cups chicken stock
03 - 2 stalks lemongrass, tough outer leaves removed, cut into 2-inch pieces and smashed
04 - 5 kaffir lime leaves, torn
05 - 3 slices galangal or fresh ginger
06 - 2 Thai bird's eye chiles, smashed

→ Vegetables

07 - 5 oz oyster or button mushrooms, sliced
08 - 2 medium tomatoes, cut into wedges
09 - 1 small onion, sliced

→ Seasonings

10 - 2 tablespoons nam prik pao (Thai roasted chili paste)
11 - 2 tablespoons fish sauce
12 - 1 tablespoon sugar
13 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
14 - 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice, plus extra for serving

→ Garnish

15 - 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
16 - 1 to 2 Thai chiles, sliced (optional)

# Method:

01 - In a large saucepan, bring the chicken stock to a gentle boil. Add lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, galangal, and smashed chiles. Simmer for 5 minutes to infuse the flavors.
02 - Add the chicken slices and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes until just cooked through. Skim off any foam that rises to the surface.
03 - Stir in the mushrooms, tomatoes, and onion. Simmer for another 3 to 4 minutes until the vegetables are tender but not mushy.
04 - Add nam prik pao, fish sauce, sugar, and salt. Stir well and simmer for 2 more minutes. Adjust seasoning to taste.
05 - Remove from heat. Stir in lime juice. Taste and adjust sourness or salt as desired.
06 - Ladle into bowls. Garnish with fresh cilantro and extra chiles if desired. Serve immediately with lime wedges on the side.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It comes together in under 40 minutes but tastes like you've been simmering it all day.
  • That first spoonful hits you with heat, brightness, and umami all at once—it's addictive.
  • Your kitchen will smell so incredible that people will show up just to see what you're making.
02 -
  • Don't skip the 5-minute infusion at the start; that's when the broth actually becomes fragrant instead of just tasting herbal and flat.
  • Lime juice added at the beginning cooks off; it must go in at the very end to keep that bright, cutting edge you're after.
03 -
  • Smash everything that can be smashed—lemongrass, chiles, lime leaves—because bruised aromatics release more flavor into the broth.
  • Fish sauce smells funky straight up but disappears into the soup, so trust the recipe even when your nose protests; the umami it adds is irreplaceable.
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