Recipes

Spicy and Sour Prawn Soup

Tom Yum Goong

Head-on prawns in a creamy, spicy-sour lemongrass and galangal broth

Prep

10 min

Cook

5 min

Serves

4

Heat

hot

Tom Yum Goong is likely the single most internationally famous Thai soup, and this creamy version, known as Tom Yum Nam Khon, adds a small amount of evaporated milk near the end that turns the usually clear broth a pale, warm orange. Lemongrass, galangal, and kaffir lime build the fragrant base while whole and crushed chili do double duty for both flavor and heat, and the head-on prawns get added to simmer directly in that broth so they pick up as much flavor as they give. A final swirl of roasted chili sauce deepens the color and adds a smoky note before the milk goes in, rounding out a broth that balances spicy, sour, and salty in equal measure.

Ingredients

• 8 Large river prawns (or shrimp) (shell peeled from the tail, head and tail shell left on, deveined)
• 2 cups Straw mushrooms (halved)
• 2 inch piece Galangal root (sliced thin)
• 2 stalks Lemongrass (bottom cut into short pieces)
• 1/2 Brown or yellow onion, small (sliced thin)
• 2 Green onion
• 7 Culantro leaves
• 7 Small Thai hot chilies (lightly cracked, left whole)
• 10 Kaffir lime leaves
• 8 Cherry tomatoes, small
• 4 Thai hot chilies (finely crushed)
• 2 tablespoons Thai roasted chili sauce (nam prik pao)
• 1/2 cup Evaporated milk, unsweetened
• 4 teaspoons Fish sauce (to taste)
• 4 teaspoons Coconut sugar
• 4 tablespoons Lime juice (to taste)
• 2 teaspoons Salt (to taste)

Directions

1. Peel the shell from the tail portion of the prawns, leaving the head and tail shell on for flavor. Wash and devein carefully.
2. Halve the mushrooms, slice the galangal, cut the lemongrass into short pieces, and slice the onion. Finely crush some of the chili, and lightly crack the rest while keeping them whole.
3. Boil water in a pot. Add the galangal, lemongrass, onion, and crushed chili. Boil for about a minute. Start with less crushed chili if you're unsure about the heat level, and adjust later.
4. Add the prawns, adding a little more water if needed to cover them.
5. Add the mushrooms and bring back to a boil.
6. Boil for about 2 minutes, stirring carefully so the prawns don't break apart. Add the coconut sugar.
7. Add the salt, fish sauce, and lime juice. Stir well and boil for about 30 seconds.
8. Taste the broth — it should be spicy, a little salty, and a little sour. Adjust with more chili, fish sauce, or lime juice as needed.
9. Add the kaffir lime leaves, green onion, culantro, and tomatoes.
10. Stir in the roasted chili sauce until fully melted and blended.
11. Carefully stir in the evaporated milk until well blended.
12. Lift out the prawns, tomatoes, and a few nice mushroom pieces onto a plate. Spoon the rest into serving bowls just big enough to hold everything, fill with broth to cover, then arrange the prawns on top with heads and legs visible. Tuck in the tomatoes and mushrooms.
13. Garnish with fresh kaffir lime leaves, a few whole hot chilies, cut culantro, cilantro leaves, and a little raw green onion. Serve with steamed jasmine rice on the side.

Notes

Leave the head and tail shell on the prawns rather than peeling them fully — the head in particular releases a lot of flavor into the broth as it cooks.

Substitutions

Regular shrimp can replace river prawns, though the head is worth keeping on if possible since it adds real flavor to the broth.