In this chicken tom yum soup recipe, I added homemade chicken broth for a more nutritious soup base and more concentrated taste. The soup flavor is a perfect balance of sour, sweet and spicy. This recipe will convince you that you can make Thai restaurant level of Chicken Tom Yum Soup in your kitchen.
Cook this chicken tom yum soup with me!
Why you will love this Chicken Tom Yum Soup recipe?
- It is very easy to make
- It takes simply 17 minutes
- It helps to boost your immunity
- It is healthy and very delicious
This Chicken Tom Yum Soup is for you, if
- You like clear broth tom yum soup with chicken (Nam Sai style)
- You love Tom Yum, but shrimp is not your protein
- You enjoy the hot and sour taste of Tom Yum but also want to benefit from the anti-inflammatory herbal ingredients.
- You are trying to cook Thai foods without many preservatives and flavor enhancers.
- You love spicy soup.
About Tom Yum Soup
In case you are not familiar with this dish, Tom Yum means mixed broth in Thai language, infused with essential herbal ingredients commonly used to make Thai food taste as it is (fragrant, hot, and sour).
Those ingredients include lemongrass, kaffir leaves, lime juice, galangal, and sometimes coriander. Each ingredient has a strong herbal taste that makes Thai foods delicious. The best part is those herbal ingredients hold many medicinal benefits including anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, minerals and vitamins.
Tom Yum typically comes with protein such as shrimp (Tom Yum Goong), mixed seafood (Tom Yum Pok Teik), and chicken (Tom Yum Gai). These proteins are part of the core ingredients that make the broth filled with umami taste.
If you go to a Thai restaurant, you might notice the Chicken Tom Yum looks very appetizing in deep red color and sometimes oily surface. That is from the Tom Yum paste. While the paste contains herbal ingredients, it also may contain harmful preservatives, additives and artificial flavoring.
I make Tom Yum a lot at home, and that makes me cook different types of Tom Yum over time. My favorite is Tom Yum with shrimp, but since my husband doesn’t like seafood as much as I do, this recipe is what we both would enjoy together.
Ingredients & Substitution
- Chicken
- Chicken broth
- Galangal root
- Garlic
- Lemongrass
- Chili flakes
- Onion
- Kaffir leaves
- Shimeji Mushrooms
- Tomato
- Lime juice
- Fish sauce
- Palm sugar
- Tamarind paste
- Coriander for garnish
Chili – If you prefer fresh chili, skip the toasting. Add them to the water with other herbal ingredients.
Fish sauce – Fish sauce is essential to make tom yum as it releases the umami taste plus adds saltiness to the food. I always use Red Boat fish sauce whenever I need to add fish sauce in the recipe. But if you cannot find a good quality fish sauce that is all-natural, you may add anchovy powder or salt.
Mushrooms – Oyster and Enoki mushrooms are other types of mushrooms often used in Thai cooking.
Palm Sugar – Sugar is used to balance the herbal taste of the soup. I used natural palm sugar as it is an unrefined type of sugar and is widely available in Southeast Asia. Feel free to use your choice of healthier sweetener.
In case adding sugar make you feel unease, i think this recipe will be good with fresh pineapple juice too. I made this Thai style steamed fish recipe with pineapple instead of sugar, and it turns out great!
Chicken broth – Tom yum broth, often made of shrimp, but this recipe is catered for those who prefer it to be chicken-based soup, so I use chicken broth for a thicker and more concentrated taste. If you don’t have at the moment, water will be sufficient.
In this chicken broth is one of the element that make this soup nutritious and rich in nutrients, vitamins, and protein. It is also a good source of collagen. You might not want to miss it.
How to make Chicken Tom Yum Soup?
Step 1 – Make the broth. Lightly toast the chili flakes under low heat
Step 2 – Add water & chicken broth to the pot.
Step 3 -Bring in the chicken, herbal ingredients, and seasoning. Cook for 5-7 mins under high heat with the lid covered
Step 4- Add vegetables. Bring in tomato and mushroom and cook for 3 minutes.
Step 3- Garnish. Turn off the heat, add lime juice, stir to mix, and sprinkle with coriander.
Frequently asked questions
What to serve Chicken Tom Yum Soup with?
- Jasmin Rice / Basmati rice / Brown rice
- Vermicelli noodles
- Quinoa
- Thai Mango Salad
What’s the difference between Tom Yum & Tom Yum Gai?
Tom Yum in Thai means hot & sour soup. It has different versions cooked with different proteins or added liquid like cream. Tom Yum Gai is one of the Tom Yum versions that is cooked with chicken. Gai in Thai means chicken, so Tom Yum Gai means hot & sour soup with chicken.
Can I Freeze Tom Yum Soup?
Yes, you can. It’s best to remove the herbs (galangal, kaffir leaves, lemongrass, and coriander root) before placing them in a container. Try not to freeze the chicken tom yum soup for the second time once you defrost, as it might affect the taste and the freshness. If you batch cook the tom yum, portion them before you pack them in several containers.
You may also like
- AUTHENTIC TOM YUM NAM SAI WITH PRAWN
- TURMERIC AND BLACK PEPPER CHICKEN
- THAI MANGO SALAD
- LEMONGRASS CHICKEN NOODLE SALAD
- OVEN-BAKED SPRING ROLL CUPS WITH CHICKEN
Thai Hot and Sour Chicken Tom Yum Soup or Tom Yum Gai
Course: Main FoodCuisine: Thai2
pax5
minutes12
minutes17
minutes5
starsIngredients
300g chicken
1 cup of chicken broth (no sodium)
1 cup of water
13g galangal – sliced
2 Garlic – smashed
1 fat lemongrass – bruised
1 tbsp of chili flakes – ½ if you prefer less spicy
1/2 of red onion / 2 shallots
4-6 Kaffir leaves – torn
70g of Shimeji mushroom (You can use oyster or straw mushrooms too)
1/2 of tomato – firm
1 tbsp lime juice
1 tbsp of all natural fish sauce
1 tbsp of palm sugar
1 tbsp of tamarind paste
A pinch of salt
1 stalk of coriander (cut the root to cook in the broth and chop the leaves for garnishing)
Directions
- In a medium-sized pot, add oil and turn the heat to low.
- Slowly add chili flakes and leave it for 3-4 seconds until it bubbles. Stir if needed, and add chicken broth and water immediately. Make sure you don’t burn the chili. You will know if the chili turns black with the burned smell.
- Add chicken, galangal, coriander root, garlic, lemongrass, onion, kaffir leaves, palm sugar, tamarind paste, and salt. Cover the pot and boil for 5—7 minutes under high heat..
- Add mushrooms and tomato and cook for another 3-5 minutes.
- Turn off the heat, add lime juice, and stir until combined. Garnish with coriander and serve warm.
Recipe Video
🥣 Did you try this recipe? Let me know your thoughts in the comment below.
