Tom Yum is one of the most popular Thai soups for good reason -- it's spicy, tangy, and utterly delicious. While Tom Yum Goong will always be the classic, this version of Tom Yum featuring chicken (Tom Yum Gai) is just as delicious.

I still remember the first time I had the real Tom Yum soup.

I was visiting Bangkok to see my hubby (boyfriend at the time). After running around to temples, palaces, and other must-see tourist destinations in the sweltering heat all day, we decided to spend a quiet evening in at the hotel. Hubby ordered room service, and I kicked back, excited to sample the array of Thai dishes he had ordered. Without knowing what each bowl contained, I lifted the lids and dug in, savoring all of the unique flavor combinations.

One dish in particular stood out to me, with its fiery red broth accented with fragrant citrus. I thought perhaps it was some delicious variation of a red curry because it was just so spicy and rich. But after mentioning this to hubby, he informed me that it was actually Tom Yum soup -- just a really good one, and so unlike the watered-down versions I had experienced before!

Many years and many tastes of Thai food later, I still can't get enough of the bold flavors of an authentic Tom Yum soup. Read on to learn how to recreate this wonderfully flavorful hot and sour chicken soup at home!

Jump to:

What is Tom Yum Gai?
What does Tom Yum Gai taste like?
Ingredients
Instructions
Tom Yum Goong vs Tom Yum Gai
Tom Kha Gai vs Tom Yum Gai
Recipe

What is Tom Yum Gai?

Tom Yum is a popular hot and sour Thai soup. Tom (pronounced tome) means "to boil" and is used to refer to soups. Yum means "to mix" and is mainly used to refer to salads, whose ingredients are tossed together with a spicy, sour, and salty dressing before serving. In the context of this soup, Yum is used to imply these spicy, sour, and salty flavors. Gai is the Thai word for chicken. So put together, Tom Yum Gai means Hot and Sour Chicken Soup. (see How to Interpret a Thai Menu for more).

What does Tom Yum Gai taste like?

Invigorating spice from the chilis, refreshing tang from the limes, citrusy fragrance from the makrut lime leaves, galangal, and lemongrass... They all combine so wonderfully to create a soup that is refreshing, yet deeply satisfying. And as much as I love Tom Yum Goong, there's something really nice about biting into tender, thinly-sliced pieces of chicken infused with this wonderfully spicy and sour broth.

Ingredients

Chicken Broth: Chicken broth forms the base of this soup. Homemade chicken broth will taste the best, but store bought is also fine.
Thai Chilis: The number of chilis you add, how strongly you bruise them, and when you add them to the soup will determine the spice level. One Thai chili added towards the end of cooking will give you a mild spice. Five Thai chilis, bruised really hard, added at the beginning of cooking will result in a much spicier soup. Tom Yum is supposed to be somewhat spicy, but you can adjust to your spice preference.
Lemongrass: Lemongrass provides a wonderful lemony fragrance to this soup, and can reliably be found at pan-Asian groceries such as Ranch 99. Use only the bottom ⅔ of the stalk. Cut into 2 inch lengths and bruise with the back of a chef's knife to help release the fragrance.
Makrut (Kaffir) Lime Leaves: Makrut lime leaves are another essential ingredient in this soup and impart a very distinctive citrus flavor. They are harder to procure, often available only at groceries specializing in Southeast Asian cuisine. However, you can also buy them online (ingredient name linked). Wash the leaves, then fold them in half to strip the central vein away and tear in half again.
Galangal: Galangal provides a sharp, earthy, somewhat citrusy flavor. It is often available at pan-Asian stores, but not always. It can also be found fresh online (ingredient name linked). Simply wash the galangal, cut a 1 inch piece off and slice it into thin rounds. You should wind up with about 10 round slices. Ginger is often suggested as a substitute for galangal, but it does not have the same flavor and should not be used in this soup.
Shallots: Three or four small Asian shallots or one large shallot help give the broth additional flavor.
Chicken: Boneless, skinless chicken thighs and breast both work well in this soup. The chicken should be sliced into bite-sized pieces.
Mushrooms: Any mild flavored mushroom will work well in this soup. Straw, champignon, beech, and oyster mushrooms are all good choices.
Cherry Tomatoes: Cherry tomatoes are an optional, but fun add-in. They provide another texture and a different sour flavor than the lime juice in the soup. They also contribute some additional redness to the broth.
Lime Juice: Fresh lime juice provides the necessary sourness. Start with 2 Tablespoons and add more as needed, depending on how sour your lime is.
Fish Sauce: Fish sauce provides the salty umami flavor for this soup. Exactly how much you need will depend on how salty your chicken broth is.
Roasted Chili Paste: Roasted chili paste, known as Nam Prik Pao in Thai, is an all-in-one Thai flavoring paste. It is spicy, sweet, and shrimp-y and adds a lot of delicious flavor to this soup. It is available at pan-Asian stores, and also online (ingredient name linked).
Cilantro: Cilantro is not just a pretty garnish, but a necessary flavor for Tom Yum. If you are able to find it, Sawtooth Coriander could also be used.

Instructions

Prepare the Herbs: Remove the stem of the Thai chilis and smack with the back of a chef's knife to release their spice. Cut the top ⅓ of the lemongrass stalk off and discard. Cut the bottom ⅔ of the stalk into 2" segments and smack to release their fragrance. Tear the makrut lime leaves into small pieces, removing the stem in the middle. Cut a roughly ½" piece of galangal into approximately 6 round pieces.
Infuse the Broth: Add the bruised Thai chilis, bruised lemongrass segments, torn makrut lime leaves, galangal rounds, and shallots to the chicken broth and allow to simmer for 10-30 minutes, until their fragrance is strong. Remove the herbs.
Cook the Main Ingredients: Add the mushrooms, chicken, and tomatoes to the fragrant broth and allow all to cook through.
Season the Soup: Add fish sauce, lime juice, and roasted chili paste. Taste the broth and adjust the seasonings as needed. The flavor should be equally, and boldly, spicy and sour with enough saltiness to balance the other flavors. Lastly, add the cilantro and serve while hot.

Tom Yum Goong vs Tom Yum Gai

Tom Yum Goong is the original, classic hot and sour Thai soup. Goong is the Thai word for shrimp. To make Tom Yum Goong, shrimp heads are boiled to release the shrimp tomalley and flavor into the broth before making the soup.

Gai is the Thai word for chicken. To make Tom Yum Gai, you start with chicken broth instead of shrimp broth and add tender bite-sized pieces of chicken breast or thigh instead of shrimp to the soup.

Tom Kha Gai vs Tom Yum Gai

Tom Yum Gai is the Hot and Sour Chicken soup presented in this post. It is made by infusing clear chicken broth with Thai chilis, lemongrass, galangal, and makrut (kaffir) lime leaves. Roasted chili paste and cilantro are must-haves in this soup. It is unapologetically bold, with lots of spice and tang.

Tom Kha Gai is also known as Thai Coconut Milk Soup. It also starts with a base of chicken broth infused with lemongrass, galangal, and makrut (kaffir) lime leaves, but is usually much more mild than Tom Yum Gai. After the herbs have infused the broth, they are removed and coconut milk is added to provide a rich creaminess to the soup. You can add roasted chili paste and cilantro, if you like, but they are not required for Tom Kha Gai. The overall flavor of Tom Kha Gai is more mild and much creamier than Tom Yum Gai.

Whenever I make this Tom Yum soup with chicken, I am always reminded of that first taste of the real thing in Bangkok. It's the perfect soup to enjoy on a cold winter's night, or a sweltering summer day spent exploring Thailand's temples, or really any day, for that matter!

Recipe