How to Make Tom Yum with Fresh Thai Herbs

Tom Yum is one of Thailand’s best-known soups for good reason. It is fragrant, hot, sour and savoury, with a light broth that carries the aroma of fresh herbs into every spoonful.

The ingredient list can look long at first, but the dish becomes much easier once you understand its structure. Fresh lemongrass, galangal and makrut lime leaves build the fragrance. Chillies bring heat, fish sauce adds saltiness and savoury depth, and fresh lime juice provides the sour finish.

This recipe makes Tom Yum Goong — Tom Yum with prawns — but the same broth can be adapted for chicken, fish, mixed seafood or mushrooms. We have included both the clear and creamy versions, plus an easier route using prepared Tom Yum paste.

What gives Tom Yum its distinctive flavour?

Tom Yum is not built around a single dominant ingredient. Its character comes from several layers working together:

Ingredient	Its role in the soup
Lemongrass	A clean, fresh citrus fragrance
Galangal	Peppery, citrusy and resinous depth
Makrut lime leaves	An intense floral citrus aroma
Thai chillies	Fresh heat
Fish sauce	Saltiness and savoury depth
Lime juice	Bright sourness
A little sugar	Softens sharp edges without making the soup sweet

The balance is personal. Some families prefer their Tom Yum fiercely sour and spicy; others make it gentler. The important thing is to taste at the end and adjust the lime, fish sauce and chilli until none of them overwhelms the others.

If you are new to the three fresh herbs, read our guide to lemongrass, galangal and makrut lime leaves before you begin. It explains which pieces are there for infusion and which can be eaten.

Fresh Tom Yum Goong recipe

Serves: 4
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

• 1.2 litres unsalted chicken or seafood stock, or water
• 2 stalks fresh lemongrass
• About 30g fresh galangal, cut into 6–8 thin slices
• 6 fresh makrut lime leaves
• 4–8 Thai bird’s-eye chillies, depending on your preferred heat
• 2 shallots, peeled and halved
• 200g oyster mushrooms or straw mushrooms, cleaned and cut into bite-sized pieces
• 2 medium tomatoes, cut into wedges
• 400g raw king prawns, peeled and deveined
• 3 tablespoons Thai fish sauce, plus more to taste
• 1 teaspoon palm sugar or white sugar, optional
• 4 tablespoons fresh lime juice, plus more to taste
• A small handful of fresh coriander, roughly chopped

For creamy Tom Yum, also add:

• 2 tablespoons nam prik pao, or Thai roasted chilli paste
• 120ml evaporated milk — not sweetened condensed milk

Before you start

Prepare all the seasoning before the stock goes on the heat. Tom Yum cooks quickly once the broth is fragrant, and fresh lime juice is best added after the pan comes off the heat.

1. Prepare the lemongrass. Trim the root and dry upper ends, remove any tough outer layer, then cut each stalk into short lengths. Lightly bruise the pieces with the side of a knife or a pestle.
2. Prepare the galangal. Cut it across the fibres into thin coins. Galangal is firmer than ginger, so use a sharp, sturdy knife and take care.
3. Prepare the lime leaves and chillies. Tear each makrut lime leaf once or twice. Lightly crush the chillies for a gentler release of heat, or split them for a hotter broth. Wash your hands and avoid touching your eyes after handling them.
4. Prepare the remaining ingredients. Clean and cut the mushrooms, quarter the tomatoes, squeeze the lime juice and prepare the prawns according to the pack instructions.

Method

1. Pour the stock or water into a large saucepan and bring it to a gentle boil.
2. Add the bruised lemongrass, sliced galangal, torn makrut lime leaves and shallots. Lower the heat and simmer for 8–10 minutes, until the broth smells deeply fragrant.
3. Add the mushrooms and tomatoes, then simmer for another 3 minutes.
4. Add the chillies and prawns. Simmer gently until the prawns are firm, opaque and completely cooked through, following any cooking directions on the pack. Avoid boiling them for longer than necessary, as they can quickly become tough.
5. Stir in 3 tablespoons of fish sauce and the sugar, if using, then remove the pan from the heat.
6. Add 4 tablespoons of lime juice and most of the coriander. Taste the broth carefully.
7. Adjust a little at a time: more fish sauce for saltiness, lime juice for sourness or crushed chilli for heat. Serve immediately with the remaining coriander scattered over the top.

Large pieces of lemongrass, galangal and torn lime leaf are normally left in the bowl for their fragrance rather than eaten. You can remove them before serving if you prefer a neater bowl.

How to make creamy Tom Yum

Tom Yum Goong Nam Sai is the clear-broth version. Tom Yum Goong Nam Khon is richer and creamier, but it should still taste lively rather than heavy.

To turn the recipe above into the creamy version:

1. Stir the nam prik pao into the broth after the prawns have cooked.
2. Add the evaporated milk and warm it gently without giving the soup a long, hard boil.
3. Remove the pan from the heat before adding the lime juice.
4. Taste again. The roasted chilli paste and milk soften the sour and salty flavours, so you may need a little more lime juice or fish sauce.

Creamy Tom Yum is commonly made with evaporated milk rather than coconut milk. If you want a coconut-based soup with chicken and plenty of galangal, Tom Kha Gai is the dish to look for.

The easy route: making Tom Yum with paste

A prepared paste is useful when you want Tom Yum quickly or do not have every seasoning to hand. The paste creates the base; your protein, mushrooms and final squeeze of lime make it into a complete soup.

Lobo Tom Yum Paste is portioned to make two servings and its instructions call for meat or mushrooms, fish sauce and lime juice. Mae Ploy Tom Yum Paste comes in a larger tub for cooks who make the dish more regularly.

Always begin with the instructions on your chosen pack because concentration and seasoning vary. As a general method:

1. Dissolve the recommended amount of paste in simmering water or stock.
2. Add mushrooms and your chosen protein, then cook them completely.
3. Remove the pan from the heat and adjust with fresh lime juice and fish sauce only after tasting.
4. Add coriander just before serving.

For a brighter, more layered result, add one or two fresh aromatics to the paste-based broth. A bruised lemongrass stalk, a few galangal slices or torn makrut lime leaves can make a convenient soup smell much fresher without adding much work.

Choosing your protein

Prawns or mixed seafood

Prawns make Tom Yum Goong, perhaps the most familiar version of the soup. Shell-on prawns can also be used to make a deeper seafood stock, while peeled prawns keep the recipe quicker and easier to eat. Squid, fish and mixed seafood work well too; add each ingredient according to the time it needs to cook.

Explore our frozen seafood collection for prawns, squid, fish and other options. Availability varies, so the collection link is more useful than relying on one particular pack.

Chicken

Use small, evenly cut pieces of chicken and simmer them until fully cooked before adding the final lime juice. Chicken Tom Yum has a slightly gentler flavour than the prawn version but uses the same aromatic broth.

Mushroom or tofu

For a meat-free variation, use a generous mixture of oyster, straw or button mushrooms, with tofu if you would like more substance. Replace the fish sauce with a suitable plant-based seasoning and check that your Tom Yum paste is suitable for your dietary requirements.

Five tips for better Tom Yum

1. Bruise the herbs rather than finely chopping everything

Large bruised pieces release their aroma while remaining easy to move aside. Finely chopped galangal and tough lemongrass can make a clear soup unpleasant to eat.

2. Do not use ginger as a direct replacement for galangal

They are related, but galangal has the sharper, resinous flavour that gives Tom Yum its recognisable depth.

3. Add lime juice after turning off the heat

This preserves its brighter aroma and gives you better control over the final sourness.

4. Season at the end

Stock, fish sauce and prepared paste can all contain salt. Taste the completed broth before adding more fish sauce.

5. Cook seafood gently

Prawns and squid become firm quickly. Add them towards the end and stop cooking once they are completely cooked through.

What to serve with Tom Yum

Tom Yum can be served as part of a shared meal with steamed jasmine rice and one or two milder dishes. The rice is especially welcome when the broth is very sour or spicy.

It also works as a light meal by itself. Add extra mushrooms, seafood or noodles if you want a more substantial bowl, although that is a home-cooking variation rather than the usual way Tom Yum Goong is served.

Storing and reheating leftovers

Tom Yum is at its best as soon as it is seasoned, while the lime and herbs are still bright. If you have leftovers, cool them and refrigerate them within one to two hours. Eat within 48 hours or freeze them, and reheat only once until steaming hot throughout. Seafood can toughen when reheated, so warm the soup gently and only for as long as needed.

Frequently asked questions

Is Tom Yum always made with prawns?

No. Tom Yum Goong contains prawns, but the aromatic broth can also be made with chicken, fish, mixed seafood, mushrooms or other ingredients.

What is the difference between clear and creamy Tom Yum?

Tom Yum Nam Sai has a clear, sharp broth. Tom Yum Nam Khon is enriched with roasted chilli paste and evaporated milk, giving it a rounder, creamier flavour while keeping the essential hot-and-sour balance.

Is coconut milk used in creamy Tom Yum?

Evaporated milk is commonly used for creamy Tom Yum. Coconut milk is more closely associated with Tom Kha, a different soup in which galangal is especially prominent.

Can I eat the lemongrass, galangal and makrut lime leaves?

The large pieces used in this recipe are there to perfume the broth and are normally left uneaten. Finely sliced tender lemongrass and very finely shredded lime leaves can be eaten in other preparations.

Can I make Tom Yum less spicy?

Yes. Use fewer chillies and bruise them lightly rather than splitting or finely chopping them. You can always add more heat at the table, but it is difficult to remove once it is in the broth.

Why does the lime juice go in at the end?

Adding it off the heat keeps the citrus flavour fresh and makes it easier to judge the final balance. Makrut lime leaves create aroma; fresh lime juice creates sourness.

Can I use Tom Yum paste and fresh herbs together?

Yes. Paste is a useful seasoning base, while fresh lemongrass, galangal and makrut lime leaves add a brighter aroma. Using both is an easy middle route between cooking completely from scratch and relying on paste alone.

Find your Tom Yum ingredients at Muay Supermarket

Start with the fresh aromatic trio: lemongrass, galangal and makrut lime leaves. Add your choice of frozen seafood, then finish the broth with lime, chilli and a well-balanced Thai fish sauce.

If you would like help choosing the final seasoning, our guide explains what makes Thai fish sauce different. For the faster route, keep a packet or tub of Tom Yum paste in the cupboard and lift it with fresh herbs whenever you have them.