Tom Yum Gai (Thai Hot and Sour Chicken Soup)
Tom Yum Goong is my favorite soup in the world, but I must say that Tom Yum Gai (chicken) offers the same incredible flavor profile with more simple ingredients and cozy comfort. This hot and sour chicken soup is the perfect go-to when you want all the zesty magic with less complexity.
What are in Tom Yum Soup?
Tom Yum soup boasts several delicious variations with a distinct flavor profile. The soup balances spicy, sour, tart, salty, and sweet tastes. Traditional Tom Yum combines key ingredients like galangal, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, lime juice, shallots, and fish sauce. Below are the ingredients and what each one contributes to this delicious soup.
Galangal, Lemongrass, and Makrut Lime Leaves: These ingredients add a citrusy note to the soup and help eliminate any fishy, metallic, or protein-like odors. For this reason, Thai people commonly use them in various dishes and pastes, including curry paste.
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Garlic and Shallots: These add umami and help eliminate metallic or protein-like odors. If you don’t have shallots, you can substitute them with red, yellow, or white onions.
Mushrooms: Asian mushrooms are ideal for Tom Yum soup. These include straw mushrooms, oyster mushrooms, Shimeji, and Enoki (also known as seafood mushrooms). They release less water during cooking and have a lighter texture compared to button or baby bella mushrooms. Generally, fresh mushrooms are better than canned ones. However, if Asian mushrooms are unavailable, you can substitute them with button or baby bella mushrooms. Mushrooms add natural umami flavor and a light crunch to the soup.
Chilies: You can use dried chilies, fresh chilies, or chili flakes to add a spicy flavor to Tom Yum Gai soup. For extra aroma, toast dried chilies without oil for a few minutes. Break them into smaller pieces before adding them to the soup for more spice. Alternatively, you can toast chili flakes for 30 seconds to a minute before adding them, or simply add chili flakes directly for a straightforward option.
Tomatoes: They enhance the soup with natural umami, sweetness, and a tangy flavor.
Fresh Lime Juice: It adds a sour, tart, and fresh citrusy flavor and aroma to the soup. For the best taste, add lime juice after turning off the heat to prevent the soup from becoming slightly bitter.
Cilantro and Green Onion: These ingredients complete the soup with added aroma and a boost of umami flavor.
Chicken: I use a combination of chicken drumettes and thighs to create a hearty, tender, and cozy broth. This eliminates the need for store-bought chicken stock. With good time management, you can still prepare this soup in 30 minutes or less. Alternatively, you can use only drumettes instead of mixing with thighs. If you prefer leaner meat, like chicken breast, reduce the cooking time to 10-15 minutes and use store-bought broth.
What is the Difference between Tom Yum Gai and Tom Kha Gai
The main difference between Tom Yum Gai and Tom Kha Gai lies in their flavor and texture. Tom Yum Gai is spicier and lighter, while Tom Kha Gai is milder due to the addition of coconut milk and the absence of broken dried chilies or chili flakes. In Tom Kha Gai, toasted dried chilies are used as a garnish to enhance the aroma. You can also add cabbage to Tom Kha Gai for extra sweetness. As a result, neither my Tom Kha Gai nor Tom Yum Gai recipes require any refined sugar.
How to Retain Aromatics for Tom Yum
Tip 1: Avoid adding all the Tom Yum herbs too early. The key Tom Yum herb trio includes galangal, lemongrass, and kaffir or Makrut lime leaves. Add the herbs in order of toughness, starting with the hardest. Begin by boiling sliced galangal along with bruised garlic and shallots to eliminate any metallic odors from the chicken. Season with fish sauce, but do not stir. Once the chicken is cooked, add lemongrass and mushrooms. Bring the soup to a boil, then add Makrut lime leaves, tomatoes, and chili flakes, allowing them to infuse their citrus aroma for about 5-10 minutes. Turn off the heat, then add lime juice, chopped cilantro, and green onion.
Tip 2: If you’re serving the soup to friends or family who may not know to avoid the tough herbs in the Tom Yum Trio, make sure each herb has time to infuse the soup for at least 5-10 minutes before removing them. For example, remove the galangal after the chicken is fully cooked. Take out the lemongrass before adding the Makrut lime leaves, and remove the Makrut lime leaves before serving. Thai people often leave these herbs in as garnishes because we find them beautiful, just like you do.
Storing and Reheating
Simply store your leftovers in airtight containers and refrigerate them for up to 2-3 days. Reheat on the stove or in the microwave. For extra freshness, add a small squeeze of lime juice when serving, and enjoy!
Related Recipes
- Tom Yum Soup Noodle (Guay Tiew Tom Yum): This one takes less than 15 minutes and no Tom Yum Trios are needed. The main protein is ground pork so it is quick and easy.
- Tom Yum Goong (Tom Yum Shrimp)
- Tom Kha Gai : Thai coconut chicken soup
- Leng Saeb (Pork Bone Soup) : This one also is not required the Tom Yum Trios but the flavor profile is about the same. Using instant pot makes everything faster.
- Tom Yum Spaghetti : Using your fresh garden tomatoes to make quick Tom Yum Sauce. It’s very delicious!
Tom Yum Gai (Thai Hot and Sour Chicken Soup)
Equipment
- 1 pot
Ingredients
- 5 cups water (1250 mL)
- 3-4 shallots (or half big onion)
- 4 cloves garlic (peeled and bruised)
- 1 knob galangal (5-6 slices)
- 1 lb chicken (2 pounds if using chicken with bones 1 pound if using all meat. I use 2 pound that have the mix of chicken thigh and the drumettes.)
- 4-6 tbsp fish sauce (Start with 4 tbsp and adjust toward the end. This depends on the brand you use.)
- 2 stalks lemongrass (bruise or chop into smaller pieces)
- 2 cups mushrooms (Try to use fresh Asian mushrooms such as straw, oyster, Shimeji, or Enoki mushrooms. If not able to find, you can move on to canned Asian mushrooms or fresh button or Baby Bella mushrooms.)
- 1 tsp chili flakes (or/and 4-5 dried or fresh chilies)
- 1 tsp ground white pepper (optional)
- ½ cup tomatoes (Cut into wedges. Any red tomatoes work.)
- 4-5 Kaffir lime leaves (Makrut lime leaves: They freeze well so I recommend you get a lot of them and freeze.)
- ¼ cup cilantro (chopped)
- 3 green onion (chopped into 1 inch pieces)
- 5 tbsp lime juice (fresh. If not able to find it's better to use fresh lemon juice than using a bottled lime juice.)
Instructions
- If using dried chilies, toast them without oil on medium heat for a few minutes until fragrant. Break some of the chilies into smaller pieces and set them aside.
- On medium heat, bring water to a gentle boil.
- Add peeled and bruised or sliced shallots and garlic, followed by sliced galangal.
- Add chicken drumettes and chicken thigh followed by fish sauce. Do not wait for the water to become rolling boil and do not stir at this point. This will keep the soup/broth clear.
- Let the chicken cook for 20 minutes without stirring. You may cover the pot to bring the broth to a boil faster.
- Wash and clean the mushrooms. Wash the lemongrass, then chop off and discard the top half. Slice or bruise the bottom half to release its aroma.
- Add mushrooms and lemongrass to the pot, followed by chili flakes or toasted dried chilies.
- If using fresh chilies, slice them in half or into smaller pieces before adding them. Stir to combine and bring the soup to a boil.
- Devein Makrut lime leaves and slice the tomatoes into wedges. Add them to the pot and bring the soup to a boil one last time.
- Turn off the heat and add fresh lime juice, chopped cilantro, and green onion.
- Stir to combine and adjust the taste to your liking. Serve with rice or enjoy the soup on its own.
Video
@stickyricethaikitchen Tom Yum Gai: Hot &Sour Thai Chicken Soup Ingredients ⬇️ 5 cups water (1250 mL) 3-4 shallots (or half big onion) 4 cloves garlic (peeled and bruised) 1 knob galangal (5-6 slices) 1 lb chicken (2 pounds if using chicken with bones 1 pound if using all meat. I use 2 pound that have the mix of chicken thigh and the drumettes.) 4-6 tbsp fish sauce (Start with 4 tbsp and adjust toward the end. This depends on the brand you use.) 2 stalks lemongrass (bruise or chop into smaller pieces) 2 cups mushrooms (Try to use fresh Asian mushrooms such as straw, oyster, Shimeji, or Enoki mushrooms. If not able to find, you can move on to canned Asian mushrooms or fresh button or Baby Bella mushrooms.) 1 tsp chili flakes (or/and 4-5 dried or fresh chilies) 1 tsp ground white pepper (optional) ½ cup tomatoes (Cut into wedges. Any red tomatoes work.) 4-5 Kaffir lime leaves (Makrut lime leaves: They freeze well so I recommend you get a lot of them and freeze.) ¼ cup cilantro (chopped) 3 green onion (chopped into 1 inch pieces) 5 tbsp lime juice (fresh. If not able to find it's better to use fresh lemon juice than using a bottled lime juice.) #thaifood#tiktokfood#thaicooking#tomyum#tomyumgai#homemadefood#cookingathome#easyrecipe#healthyrecipes#highprotein#nosugar#ketofriendly#soup#soupseason#thaisoup#thaicuisine#chickensoup#herb#drumette#simplerecipe ♬ เสียงต้นฉบับ – Alex_อเล็กซ์💙💖🐈🐕🌻🌼 – Alexอเล็กซ์💙💖🐈🐕🌻ทาสหมาแมว
