Easy Thai Tom Yum Soup Recipe (Sour Spicy Soup)

This is probably one of the easiest recipes to make Thai tom yum goong soup (Thai spicy and sour shrimp soup, ต้มยำกุ้งน้ำใส). Feel free to modify the recipe to suit your own interests or add ingredients to you own liking.
Should take no more than 20 – 30 minutes to make.
Ingredients
- Water: 2 – 3 cups (1/2 of a sauce pan)
- Shrimp (can substitute Chicken): 10 shrimp
- Tomatoes: 2 tomatoes
- Limes: 4 – 6 limes (depending on how sour)
- Thai chilies: I used about 8 chilies
- Mushrooms: handful
- Lemongrass: 1 sliced handful (about 2 stalks)
- Kaffir lime leaves: about 8 leaves
- Galangal root: 1 inch by 1 inch chunk
- Fish sauce: a few squirts (1 – 2 teaspoons)
- Sugar: 1 teaspoon
Steps to Making Easy Thai Tom Yum Soup!
Step 1:


Slice up the lemongrass, galangal, tomatoes, chilies, mushrooms, and shrimp
Step 2:
Boil about half a medium sauce pot of water
Step 3:
When the water is boiling, add the sliced galangal, lemongrass, and kaffir lime leaves
Step 4:
Boil for about 5 minutes and then add the shrimp
Step 5:

Boil for another 5 minutes and add the sliced Thai chilies and the mushrooms
Step 6:
Boil for 2 minutes and add the chopped tomatoes
Step 7:
Boil the easy tom yum soup for about 5 minutes
Step 8:
Add a few squirts of fish sauce, about 1 teaspoon to start with (and you can add more if needed)
Step 9:
If the soup is slightly bitter, add about 1 teaspoon of sugar, boil the soup for another 5 minutes
Step 10: Last Step IMPORTANT
Take the pot off the heat and add squeeze in the lime juice (if it’s on the stove still, the heat will turn the lime juice bitter – so take it off the stove before adding the lime juice) – make it sour!
That’s it – you’ve got delicious and easy Thai tom yum soup! Add some cilantro to garnish if you would like.
liz
2 years ago
This soup is delicious and easy to make, i was feeling sick and i was going to order thai food until i found your recipe. You saved me $50 thank you mash Allah
Sheila
4 years ago
Going to cook this today with clams and chicken
Lisa
4 years ago
So easy to follow, has flavour and body and was such good recipe for me to find as this is my 1st time making tom yum
Love the detailed steps, super helpful
Karthika
4 years ago
Excellent recipe. My favourite. Thank you Mark for sharing this recipe. I am currently learning thai language
Adam
4 years ago
It’s not the heat, but the lime seeds that make it tastes bitter. Don’t ever allow a single piece
Joel Bruner
4 years ago
Thats a good recommendation Adam, thank you for writing!
Monica
4 years ago
What do you add to the soup to thicken it? Any special paste to prepare. I don’t like using readymade paste
June
5 years ago
Tried today. Nice and healthy
Samantha
5 years ago
The way you explain to make the Tom yam soup is great…..thank you very much…..
Lisa
5 years ago
This was so easy and so delicious!
Denny
5 years ago
Hi,Mark Weins! I have a quick question, did you add instant tom yam paste? If the answer is yes, what brand is the best? Thanks a bunch.
Loves Food
5 years ago
How many serving is this???
mikha
5 years ago
Good spices. Thank you. But I rather use 2 chili only because I like just a little spicy, and I use vegetables instead of shrimp.
Cristina
5 years ago
During my visit in Bangkok, Tom Yum and Pad Thai are the two dishes I never missed out eating. Though I am not a 100% fan of spicy food, Tom Yum became one of my favorites. I would really love to try this at home.
kyla
6 years ago
hello. if my tomyum soup taste a little diluted, what should i do to salvage it?
Heather
6 years ago
Use chicken stock
Jeff
6 years ago
I used 8 of red Thai chilles like the recipe called for and it is burning my face off. Flavour is right but need to cut number of chilles in half.
Kunuk
7 years ago
Add the shrimp at the very end so they don’t overcook and shrink. You can also cook the shells in a little bit of oil, along with some herbs of your choice. Add water, cook for about 10 minutes, strain, do the rest as above. You get a bit more flavour that way.
Irene Lee
7 years ago
Thank you. The Tom yum soup is simple and easy to follow recipe.
Michele
7 years ago
Easy and delicious! I added a TSP of satay paste just to add a wee bit more spice. Otherwise great recipe.
Michele
7 years ago
I also added glass noodles.
Mark Wiens
7 years ago
Thanks Michele!
Amy
7 years ago
I have decided that big pots of this soup is what I need to survive winter. Thanks for the recipe!
Mark Wiens
7 years ago
Hey Amy, you’re welcome, and tom yum is a great idea for winter!
Robert
8 years ago
Ingredients look right but the shrimp cook for how long?
Cetrix
8 years ago
Thats help, thanks alot
Mark Wiens
8 years ago
You’re welcome, glad it’s helpful!
Christina
10 years ago
Hi,
May I know how many people does the easy thai tom yum soup recipe serves?
Khun VICHO
11 years ago
Hi Mark!
My question is … What about a little bit of Nam Prik Pao? I miss it in your easy Tom Yum soupo recipe.
Best Regards,
Khun VICHO
Mark Wiens
11 years ago
Hi Khun VICHO,
Yes, a little bit of nam prik pao makes it really good. This is the updated, I think better recipe https://www.eatingthaifood.com/2012/05/thai-tom-yum-goong-recipe-video/. Thank you so much for checking it out!