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Tom Yum Gung
Thai Prawn Soup with lemongrass,
Tom Yum is both hot and sour, and it's one of the main signature dishes that defines Thai flavor.
INGREDIENTS
20 prawns (shrimps), medium size
4-5 cups chicken broth/soup stock
2 stalks fresh lemongrass, lightly pounded, cut into 1 inch long segments
4 table spoons fish sauce
1/3 cup sliced fresh galangal
1/2 cup straw mushroom, halved or whole
6-8 kaffir lime leaves, shredded
4 tablespoons lime juice
6 crushed fresh Thai chili peppers (or more to suit your taste)
2 tablespoons ‘prik pao’ roasted chili in oil
Fresh cilantro for garnish
METHOD
 Wash the prawns and shell them without removing the tails. Bring chicken broth to a boil. Add lemongrass, galangal and lime leaves. Bring back to a boil then add mushrooms, fish sauce, prik pao and lime juice. Add prawns and fresh chili peppers. As soon as prawns turn pink (cooked through) serve garnished with cilantro.
Note that a rather simple and effective way to make this dish is with a ready-made tom yum paste, available in most Asian suermarket and some local chains in European countries. Instant Tom Yum Pastes imported from Thailand are usually very good quality products. Add two tablespoons Tom Yum Paste to three cups boiling water, add 1.5 teaspoons salt, add mushrooms and prawns, add 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice, add 5-7 Thai chile peppers and onions, and serve garnished with cilantro.
An alternative to Tom Yum Paste is a Tom Yum Spice Mix, also available abroad, which you can use to make the above soup. Both alternatives also add fragrant, delicious Tom Yum flavor to just about any kind of noodles, and both are quite popular in creating ‘fusion’ type Pan-Asian foods blending Thai and western foods.
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Culinary