🍤 Thai Coconut Shrimp Soup (Tom Kha–Style)
🍽️ Servings: 4
⏱️ Time: ~30 minutes
🛒 Ingredients
1 lb (450g) shrimp, peeled & deveined
1 tbsp oil
Aromatics:
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp fresh ginger or galangal, sliced
1 stalk lemongrass, smashed & cut into pieces
3–4 kaffir lime leaves (optional but authentic)
Soup Base:
4 cups chicken broth
1 can (14 oz / 400ml) coconut milk
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
Seasoning:
2 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp soy sauce
1–2 tbsp lime juice (to taste)
1 tsp sugar
1–2 Thai chilies (or chili paste), optional for heat
Garnish:
Fresh cilantro
Green onions
👩🍳 Instructions
- Build the broth
Heat oil in a pot over medium heat.
Add garlic, ginger (or galangal), and lemongrass.
Cook until fragrant. - Simmer
Pour in chicken broth and bring to a simmer.
Add kaffir lime leaves and mushrooms.
Simmer for 10 minutes to infuse flavor. - Add coconut milk
Stir in coconut milk and bring back to a gentle simmer. - Cook shrimp
Add shrimp and cook for 2–3 minutes until pink and tender. - Season
Add fish sauce, soy sauce, lime juice, sugar, and chilies.
Taste and adjust: more lime for tang, fish sauce for saltiness. - Serve
Remove lemongrass pieces (optional).
Garnish with cilantro and green onions.
🔥 Tips for authentic flavor
Use galangal + kaffir lime leaves if you can find them—they make a big difference.
Don’t overcook shrimp—they get rubbery fast.
Balance is key: salty, sour, spicy, and slightly sweet.
🍲 Optional: Tom Yum (clear version)
Skip coconut milk
Add extra lime juice + chili paste
Use more broth for a lighter, tangier soup
😋 Flavor profile
Creamy & aromatic
Tangy and slightly spicy
Fresh and comforting
If you want, I can give you a quick 15-minute version or a restaurant-level Tom Yum paste recipe 🔥.