Tom Yum Goong (Thai Hot and Sour Shrimp Soup)

A light, and tasty Thai style hot and sour soup with plump and juicy shrimp!

The heat in the soup comes from chilies and/or chili sauce/paste and the sour comes from fresh lime juice and in typical Thai fashion these are balanced and contrasted by saltiness from fish sauce and sweetness from palm sugar. The soup is further flavoured with shallots, lemongrass, lime leaves and galangal (or ginger) which when combined with the fresh cilantro and green onion garnish makes this soup super fresh and bright! You can of course change things up by adding extras like mushrooms, vegetables, noodles, coconut milk, etc. as desired! This bright thai hot and sour shrimp soup is perfect for chilly grey days!

Ingredients

2 cups chicken broth or shrimp broth
2 cups water
2 shallots, sliced thinly
2 stalks lemongrass, sliced thinly
4 kaffir lime leaves, sliced thinly
2 birds eye chilis, thinly sliced
1 inch piece galangal or ginger, sliced thinly
4 ounces shiitake mushrooms (optional)
1 pound shrimp, peeled and deviened
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 teaspoon palm or brown sugar
cilantro to taste
sliced green onions to taste
chili sauce/paste to taste

Directions

Bring the broth, water, shallots, lemongrass, lime leaves, chilis, galangal and shiitake mushrooms to a boil, reduce the heat to reduce to a simmer before adding the shrimp and simmering until cooked, about 3 minutes.
Season the broth with the lime juice, fish sauce and sugar, taste testing for a balance of sour, salty, sweet and spicy.
Serve garnished with cilantro, green onions and chili sauce as desired!