Tom Yum Chicken (Printable version)

Aromatic Thai soup with tender chicken, fragrant herbs, and bold citrus-spiced broth

# What You'll Need:

→ Chicken

01 - 14 oz boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts, thinly sliced

→ Broth

02 - 5 cups chicken stock
03 - 2 stalks lemongrass, trimmed and smashed
04 - 4 slices fresh galangal, about 0.4 oz, or 2 teaspoons dried galangal
05 - 5 makrut lime leaves, torn into pieces
06 - 4 birds eye chilies, lightly crushed

→ Vegetables & Aromatics

07 - 5.3 oz mushrooms, such as oyster or button, sliced
08 - 2 medium tomatoes, cut into wedges
09 - 1 small onion, sliced
10 - 3 cloves garlic, smashed

→ Seasonings

11 - 3 tablespoons fish sauce
12 - 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice, plus more to taste
13 - 1 teaspoon sugar
14 - 0.5 teaspoon salt, or to taste

→ Garnish

15 - 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
16 - 1 to 2 spring onions, thinly sliced
17 - Extra lime wedges

# Directions:

01 - Bruise the lemongrass, galangal, and makrut lime leaves with the back of a knife to release their essential aromas and flavors.
02 - In a large pot, bring the chicken stock to a boil. Add lemongrass, galangal, makrut lime leaves, birds eye chilies, and garlic. Simmer uncovered for 5 minutes to infuse the broth with aromatic flavors.
03 - Add the sliced chicken and onion to the broth. Simmer for 8 to 10 minutes, skimming off any foam that rises to the surface.
04 - Add sliced mushrooms and tomato wedges. Cook for another 5 to 7 minutes until the vegetables are tender and chicken is cooked through.
05 - Stir in fish sauce, lime juice, sugar, and salt. Taste and adjust lime, salt, or fish sauce as desired to achieve the perfect balance of sour, salty, and spicy flavors.
06 - Remove from heat. Discard lemongrass, galangal, and makrut lime leaves if preferred.
07 - Ladle soup into bowls. Garnish with cilantro, spring onions, and extra lime wedges.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The broth has this magical way of clearing sinuses and warming your soul simultaneously, especially when youve caught that seasonal bug everyone at the office is passing around.
  • Once you master the balance of sour, spicy, and savory elements, youll find yourself craving this instead of reaching for takeout menus on cold evenings.
02 -
  • The first time I made this, I failed to bruise the lemongrass properly and wondered why my soup tasted flat despite following the recipe precisely.
  • Dont discard the aromatic solids until serving if you want maximum flavor infusion, just warn guests not to eat the lemongrass unless they enjoy chewing on fragrant twigs.
03 -
  • For a quick weeknight version, infuse the aromatics in the broth on Sunday, strain and refrigerate, then just heat and add fresh ingredients when youre ready to serve.
  • The secret to restaurant-quality Tom Yum is balancing the hot, sour, and salty elements in perfect harmony, so always taste and adjust before serving, even if that means adding an extra splash of fish sauce or squeeze of lime.
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