A delicious Tom Yum seafood soup recipe
This Thai seafood soup is a true delight, bringing together seafood, lemongrass, coconut milk, and lime in a beautifully balanced bowl. Itβs comforting, fragrant, and warming from the very first spoonful.
In Thailand, Tom Yum Talay is known for its restorative qualities and is often enjoyed as a soothing broth when youβre feeling under the weather. Itβs also surprisingly easy to make once youβve gathered all the ingredients. Perfect for warming both body and soul on chilly autumn or winter days, this variation of Tom Yum soup wraps you in its comforting heat.
Tom Yum and Tom Kha: Whatβs the Difference?
By comparison, if youβre a fan of Thai cuisine, youβre probably familiar with Tom Kha soup. It offers a very different tasting experience. While Tom Yum is known for its spicy, sour flavor profile, while Tom Kha is creamier and gently tangy, thanks to the addition of coconut milk.
Tom Kha is usually made with chicken as the main protein, although other variations exist. Less spicy than Tom Yum, Tom Kha is loved for its comforting, mellow characterβgentler, but still deeply flavorful and satisfying.
How to Store Tom Yum Talay Soup
It will keep for 2-3 days in the fridge.
Possible Substitutions
If you donβt have lemongrass, add 3 slices of fresh lemon and simmer them in the soup.
If you donβt have kaffir lime leaves, use 1/2 teaspoon of lime zest.
For the chili, substitute 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper or chili flakes.
The Main Ingredients in Tom Yum Talay Soup
For the seafood, use whatever you like! Scallops, mussels, squid, …
Key aromatics such as lemongrass, galangal, and kaffir lime leaves are best used fresh, though frozen versions also work well. Use them fresh or frozen, but not dried. Galangal can be replaced with ginger for a similar, though still distinct, flavor.
Tom yum paste is essential for this recipe; you can find the recipe for tom yum paste here.
To add color and aroma to the soup, green onions and cilantro are my fresh herbs of choice.
As for mushrooms, there are plenty of options. Choose oyster mushrooms, shimeji, shiitake, or whatever you enjoy and can find easily.
Equipment
- 1 Wok
Ingredients
- 400 ml water
- 90 g onions (sliced) sliced
- 85 g kaffir lime leaves (fresh leaves; if using dried, use 8x less) fresh leaves; if using dried, use 8x less
- 10 g lemongrass (sliced) sliced
- 10 g galangal (sliced) sliced
- 2 tablespoons Thai chili paste
- 4 tablespoons tom yum paste
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 100 g mushrooms
- 100 g tomatoes (sliced) sliced
- 300 g seafood
- 100 ml coconut milk (full-fat) full-fat
Garnish
- 0.5 lime
- 10 g fresh cilantro
- 20 g chopped scallions
- 10 g cilantro
Instructions
- Pour the water into a saucepan and heat over medium heat. Add the sliced onions, kaffir lime leaves, lemongrass, and galangal. Bring to a boil.400 ml water, 90 g onions (sliced), 85 g kaffir lime leaves (fresh leaves; if using dried, use 8x less), 10 g lemongrass (sliced), 10 g galangal (sliced)
- Once boiling, stir in the remaining ingredients except the coconut milk. Cook, stirring regularly, until the seafood is cooked through, about 2 to 3 minutes.2 tablespoons Thai chili paste, 4 tablespoons tom yum paste, 1 teaspoon salt, 100 g mushrooms, 100 g tomatoes (sliced), 300 g seafood
- Once the seafood is cooked, add the coconut milk.100 ml coconut milk (full-fat)
- Turn off the heat and garnish with green onions and cilantro.20 g chopped scallions, 10 g fresh cilantro, 10 g cilantro
Notes
Nutrition
This recipe was contributed by Praew from the English-language blog Hungry In Thailand. Stay tuned: sheβs a specialist in βThai recipesβ and will soon be sharing more traditional Thai recipes.
