Tom Yum Gai Thai Soup (Printable)

Aromatic Thai soup with tender chicken, mushrooms, and zesty lime broth infused with fragrant herbs.

# What you'll need:

→ Chicken

01 - 12 oz boneless, skinless chicken breast or thighs, thinly sliced

→ Broth

02 - 5 cups chicken stock
03 - 2 stalks lemongrass, tough outer leaves removed, cut into 2-inch pieces and smashed
04 - 5 kaffir lime leaves, torn
05 - 3 slices galangal or fresh ginger
06 - 2 Thai bird's eye chiles, smashed

→ Vegetables

07 - 5 oz oyster or button mushrooms, sliced
08 - 2 medium tomatoes, cut into wedges
09 - 1 small onion, sliced

→ Seasonings

10 - 2 tablespoons nam prik pao Thai roasted chili paste
11 - 2 tablespoons fish sauce
12 - 1 tablespoon sugar
13 - 0.5 teaspoon salt
14 - 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice, plus extra for serving

→ Garnish

15 - 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
16 - 1 to 2 Thai chiles, sliced, optional

# How to make it:

01 - In a large saucepan, bring the chicken stock to a gentle boil. Add lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, galangal, and smashed chiles. Simmer for 5 minutes to infuse the flavors.
02 - Add the chicken slices and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes until just cooked through. Skim off any foam that rises to the surface.
03 - Stir in the mushrooms, tomatoes, and onion. Simmer for another 3 to 4 minutes until the vegetables are tender but not mushy.
04 - Add nam prik pao, fish sauce, sugar, and salt. Stir well and simmer for 2 more minutes. Adjust seasoning to taste.
05 - Remove from heat. Stir in lime juice. Taste and adjust sourness or salt as desired.
06 - Ladle into bowls. Garnish with fresh cilantro and extra chiles if desired. Serve immediately with lime wedges on the side.

# Expert suggestions:

01 -
  • The broth comes together in under 20 minutes, but tastes like it simmered all day.
  • It's naturally dairy-free and gluten-free, so it works for almost any table.
  • One spoonful settles something—the way the heat, sour, and herbs dance together feels genuinely therapeutic.
  • You probably have half the ingredients already, and the rest are worth keeping on hand anyway.
02 -
  • Don't skip the infusing step—those first 5 minutes when the aromatics bloom in hot broth are where the magic happens, and rushing it flattens everything.
  • Lime juice added to boiling soup brightens it immediately, but add it off the heat and you'll taste a sharper, less integrated sourness—temperature changes everything here.
03 -
  • Make your stock extra flavorful—this soup is built on broth, so use homemade or a quality store-bought version, never bouillon.
  • Toast your nam prik pao in a dry pan for 30 seconds before adding it to the broth; it wakes up and becomes more complex.
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