THAI RECIPE

Creamy Tom Yum Soup

ต้มยำน้ำข้น สูตรต้นตำรับ

PREP TIME:

15 mins

COOKING TIME:

20 mins

DIFFICULTY:

Medium

SERVES:

2

Tom Yum Nam Khon is the luxurious, creamy evolution of Thailand’s most iconic soup. Hailing from the Central Plains, this vibrant dish balances the piercing tartness of fresh lime and fiery bird’s eye chilies with the earthy sweetness of roasted chili jam and a rich splash of evaporated milk. This authentic home-style recipe captures the soulful harmony of spicy, sour, salty, and aromatic notes that define genuine Thai culinary heritage.

INGREDIENTS

800 ml Chicken bone broth (or water)
500 g Boneless chicken thigh, sliced
3 stalks Lemongrass, bottom half only, bruised and cut into 2-inch pieces
10 slices Fresh galangal
6 leaves Makrut lime leaves, central stems removed and torn
200 g Straw mushrooms, halved
3 tbsp Thai roasted chili jam (Nam Prik Pao)
150 ml Unsweetened evaporated milk
4 tbsp High-quality fish sauce
5 tbsp Freshly squeezed lime juice
15 Bird’s eye chilies, lightly crushed
1 handful Fresh coriander, roughly chopped

SHOP THE RECIPE

Creamy Tom Yum Soup Sauce

Authentic Thai Taset, with Coconut Milk

$6.00

Instructions

Step 1

Infuse the Broth

Bring the chicken bone broth to a gentle rolling boil in a heavy-bottomed pot. Add the bruised lemongrass and sliced galangal. Allow these tough aromatics to simmer for 5 minutes, drawing out their essential oils and building the foundational citrus and pine fragrance of the soup.

Step 2

Cook the Chicken and Mushrooms

Introduce the sliced chicken thighs and halved straw mushrooms to the aromatic broth. Simmer gently over medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes until the chicken is tender and cooked through. Avoid boiling too vigorously to ensure the poultry remains succulent and the broth stays relatively clear.

Step 3

Create the Creamy Base

Lower the heat to a gentle simmer. Stir in the roasted Thai chili jam until it dissolves completely, giving the broth a vibrant reddish-orange hue. Pour in the unsweetened evaporated milk, stirring slowly to create the signature luxurious, opaque texture of the Nam Khon variation.

Step 4

Add the Delicate Aromatics

Toss in the lightly crushed bird’s eye chilies and the torn makrut lime leaves. Stir the soup once to submerge the herbs, allowing their delicate floral and spicy notes to release into the warm liquid without turning bitter, then immediately remove the pot entirely from the heat.

Step 5

Season to Perfection

With the soup completely off the heat, stir in the fish sauce and freshly squeezed lime juice. Taste the broth and adjust if necessary, ensuring a perfect, harmonious balance of sour, salty, spicy, and creamy notes. Ladle into a serving bowl and garnish generously with fresh coriander.

Heritage Tip

The golden rule of mastering authentic Tom Yum lies in temperature control during the final seasoning. You must always add the fresh lime juice after the pot has been completely removed from the heat. Boiling lime juice destroys its bright, floral acidity and introduces an unpleasant, bitter undertone to your delicate broth. Furthermore, tearing the makrut lime leaves rather than slicing them optimally ruptures their cell walls, releasing a burst of pure citrus fragrance directly into the soup.