Tom Yum Chicken (Printable)

Aromatic Thai soup with tender chicken, lemongrass, and lime in a spicy sour broth.

# What You Need:

→ Chicken

01 - 14 oz boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts, thinly sliced

→ Broth

02 - 5 cups chicken stock
03 - 2 stalks lemongrass, trimmed and smashed
04 - 4 slices fresh galangal, about 0.4 oz, or 2 tsp dried galangal
05 - 5 makrut lime leaves, torn into pieces
06 - 4 birds eye chilies, lightly crushed

→ Vegetables & Aromatics

07 - 5.3 oz mushrooms such as oyster or button, sliced
08 - 2 medium tomatoes, cut into wedges
09 - 1 small onion, sliced
10 - 3 cloves garlic, smashed

→ Seasonings

11 - 3 tbsp fish sauce
12 - 2 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice, plus more to taste
13 - 1 tsp sugar
14 - 0.5 tsp salt, or to taste

→ Garnish

15 - 2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
16 - 1 to 2 spring onions, thinly sliced
17 - Extra lime wedges

# How To Make It:

01 - Bruise the lemongrass, galangal, and makrut lime leaves with the back of a knife to release their essential oils and aromas.
02 - In a large pot, bring the chicken stock to a boil. Add lemongrass, galangal, makrut lime leaves, birds eye chilies, and garlic. Simmer uncovered for 5 minutes to fully infuse the broth.
03 - Add the sliced chicken and onion to the simmering broth. Continue simmering for 8 to 10 minutes, skimming off any foam that rises to the surface.
04 - Add mushrooms and tomato wedges to the pot. Cook for another 5 to 7 minutes until the vegetables are tender and chicken is cooked through.
05 - Stir in fish sauce, lime juice, sugar, and salt. Taste and adjust the lime, salt, or fish sauce as desired to achieve the perfect balance of sour, salty, and spicy flavors.
06 - Remove from heat. Discard lemongrass, galangal, and makrut lime leaves if preferred for cleaner presentation.
07 - Ladle soup into bowls. Garnish with fresh cilantro, sliced spring onions, and extra lime wedges.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The broth achieves that perfect Thai balance of spicy, sour, and savory that makes your taste buds dance with each spoonful.
  • It looks impressive but comes together quickly enough for weeknights when you need something restorative and soul-warming.
02 -
  • Never boil the soup aggressively after adding lime juice or it will develop a bitter taste that cant be fixed.
  • The true secret to Tom Yum is tasting and adjusting the seasonings at the end - I always add more lime juice than the recipe suggests because the brightness cuts through the richness perfectly.
03 -
  • The soup tastes even better if you let it rest for about 10 minutes after turning off the heat, allowing the flavors to meld while still remaining hot enough to serve.
  • For a shortcut version when time is tight, I keep a jar of Tom Yum paste in my refrigerator, then doctor it with fresh lime juice and cilantro - not as wonderful as from scratch, but still deeply satisfying.
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