Tom Yum Gai (Thai Hot and Sour Chicken Soup)
User Reviews
4.9
72 reviews
Excellent
-
Prep Time
20 mins
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Cook Time
20 mins
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Total Time
45 mins
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Servings
4 servings
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Calories
216 kcal
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Course
Main Course, Appetizer, Soup
Tom Yum Gai (Thai Hot and Sour Chicken Soup)
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Tom Yum Gai (Tom Yam Gai) is Thai hot and sour chicken soup. It gets its spice from nam prik pao (Thai chili paste) and Thai bird's eye chiles, and the sour from lime juice. This recipe is easy to make when craving this beloved Thai favorite.
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Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 12 ounces chicken breast or tenders thinly sliced
- 1 small onion diced
- 1 quart chicken broth or stock
- 10 ounces sliced button or cremini mushrooms
- 6 kaffir lime leaves scored
- 6 slices galangal about ⅛-inch thick (I use re-hydrated dried galangal slices, but you can also substitute fresh ginger if needed, though it's not the same)
- 3 stalks lemongrass cut into 2-inch pieces and scored
- 1 Thai bird's eye chile stemmed, seeded, and finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 1 ½ teaspoons nam prik pao (Thai chile paste)
- 1 teaspoon Granulated sugar or raw sugar
- 2 small tomatoes (like plum tomatoes) seeded and cut into 8 wedges each
- 1 lime juiced
- a handful of cilantro leaves roughly chopped
- kosher salt
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Instructions
- In a medium pot or Dutch oven, heat half the oil over medium-high heat. Add the chicken, stirring occasionally until the chicken is just cooked through. Remove from the heat, remove chicken from the pot. Return the pot to medium heat and add the remaining oil. Add the onion and saute for a few minutes until starting to soften.
- Add the chicken broth, mushrooms, kaffir lime leaves, galangal, lemongrass, chile, fish sauce, Nam Prik Pao, and sugar. Cover, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 10 to 15 minutes. Add the cooked chicken, and tomatoes and cook another 1 to 2 minutes until the tomatoes are cooked but not falling apart.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the lime juice and cilantro leaves, if desired. Adjust seasoning as needed with salt. Serve immediately, discarding the lime leaves, galangal and lemongrass pieces either directly from the soup pot or from each bowl as you eat.
Notes
- Kaffir Lime Leaves: These are the actual leaves from the kaffir lime tree, and are very common in Thai cooking. You can purchase them fresh or dried. Fresh kaffir lime leaves can be frozen for longer shelf-life, and are my personal preference for this soup. You can also try dried kaffir lime leaves.
- Galangal: This is a root closely related to ginger and turmeric. Dried galangal is inferior to fresh, but is easier to source and still works well. Just make sure you allow some time to soak them in water before starting your soup. You can also substitute fresh ginger for the galangal, although it's not authentic and won't have the same flavor.
- Lemongrass: Lemongrass comes in stalks, and features a lemony scent and flavor. It’s common these days at many supermarkets, and is found with the other fresh herbs. It also freezes really well, so if you buy more than you need just toss the excess in a freezer bag for next time.
- Thai Bird’s Eye Chile: These small, spicy Thai chiles are the authentic ones to use in this tom yum gai recipe. They’re about 10 times hotter than a jalapeño but half the heat of a habanero, and are usually 1 to 1 ½-inches in length and either red or green. I’ve found frozen bird's eye chiles at my local Asian market and used those for this recipe, but have also gotten tiny fresh ones from a local farm before. Many well-stocked supermarkets will also carry them fresh. Be sure to wear food safe gloves before handling these chiles.
- Fish Sauce: This is very common in several different Southeast Asian cuisines including Thai and Vietnamese. Fish sauce is made with anchovies and salt, and although its odor is very strong, the flavor is key to making authentic Thai hot and sour soup.
- Nam Prik Pao: Also known as Thai chile paste, nam prik pao is available in jars in the Asian aisle of many supermarkets, in Asian markets, and online.
Nutrition Information
Show Details
Calories
216kcal
(11%)
Carbohydrates
7g
(2%)
Protein
24g
(48%)
Fat
10g
(15%)
Saturated Fat
1g
(5%)
Polyunsaturated Fat
5g
Monounsaturated Fat
2g
Sodium
1096mg
(46%)
Potassium
218mg
(6%)
Fiber
1g
(4%)
Sugar
4g
(8%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 4servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 216 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 216kcal | 11% |
| Carbohydrates | 7g | 2% |
| Protein | 24g | 48% |
| Fat | 10g | 15% |
| Saturated Fat | 1g | 5% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 5g | 29% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 2g | 10% |
| Sodium | 1096mg | 46% |
| Potassium | 218mg | 5% |
| Fiber | 1g | 4% |
| Sugar | 4g | 8% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Genuine Reviews
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.9
72 reviews
Excellent
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