One of the highlights of our Thai vacation was the cooking class. Â Being a Thai food fanatic (we order it weekly), I could not pass up the chance to learn how to make my favorites dishes.
It was awesome. Â A couple of surprises came up during the class – I discovered how quickly Thai food cooks (win), and that my husband is an excellent cook (double win).
Given the chilly weather that’s plagued the Northeast (and a lot of the country – snow in Dallas?!), I figure this soup recipe would be the perfect one to share first. Â It’s incredibly simple and so flavorful. Â The splash of coconut milk is optional, but highly recommended. Â Make this in bulk – you won’t regret it.
Tom Yum Soup with Shrimp
serves 1
Ingredients
350 mL of vegetable stock
10 grams of galangal (swap: use 1 inch of fresh ginger and 1 clove of garlic, both sliced)
1 stalk of kaffir lime leaves (swap: add two stems of basil + additional tablespoon of lime juice)
5 grams of fresh lemongrass, sliced on bias (there’s no real swap for this)
3 jalapenos (for extra heat, add the seeds and pith)
3 pieces of shrimp, raw
5 grams of mushrooms of your choice, sliced (I recommend white button)
1 tablespoon of fish sauce
1 tablespoon of lime juice (or to taste – I like a little more)
1 tablespoon coconut milk (optional, but recommended)
Chopped cilantro, to garnish
Directions
1. Â Bring the stock to a boil. Â Add galangal (or ginger/garlic mixture), kaffir lime leaves, lemongrass, jalapenos, and mushrooms
2. Â Bring soup to simmer and add the shrimp, cooking until pink.
3. Â Add coconut milk, lime juice, and fish sauce and let simmer for 10 minutes.
4. Â Garnish with cilantro and serve.
If you don’t have an Asian grocery close by, I recommend ordering from this online shop – it has all the ingredients mentioned above.  Order in bulk, chop the vegetables, and freeze them for future uses.
Coming up soon – my recipes for pad thai, green curry, and peanut sauce! Â I’d love to know – what’s your favorite Thai dish?
