Terrific Thai Soup – Tom Yum Koong

Hello Thai Soup Lovers,

I must admit, I have been enjoying making Thai food lately.  There has been a lot of experimenting in the kitchen as I try to make the items we made in Thailand.  You will see more recipes over the next month as I capture the steps in words and in pictures.  Thai food is so easy to make that I often finish making the dish so quickly that photos just don’t get taken and I have a crew of people waiting to consume the tasty foods.

I know you will enjoy this soup as it is easy to make and is super tasty.  I have included a detailed step-by-step and lots of photos so scroll down.  Don’t forget to check out the tips section too.

Terrific Thai Soup – Tom Yum Koong

Ingredients

• 4 cups of filtered water
• 3 slices for fresh galengal
• 3 slices of fresh ginger
• 2 Kaffir Lime leaves
• 1 stalk of lemon grass – smashed and chopped in half
• 4 small chilies (Thai peppers)
• 1/2 cup of handful of Enoki mushrooms
• 3 Baby King Oyster mushroons
• 1/2 cup o 1 handful of  matchstick or shredded carrot
• 1 cm thick slice of white onion – diced
• 1/2 cup Diced tomatoes or cherry tomatoes
• 2 tsp of gluten-free tamari
• 1 tbsp lime juice (1/2 fresh lime)
• 1 green onion
• 1 handful of cilantro leaves
• lime wedges from other 1/2 of lime

Directions

1. Chop up all the ingredients first.  This step is needed as the soup is complete in under 10 minutes once you start adding ingredients so you will need to have everything ready.
2. Chop the ingredients for the soup base first and place together on your cutting board or a separate plate.
3. The base items are galengal, ginger, kaffir lime leaves, lemon grass, and thai peppers.
4. Slice the galengal and ginger in thin slices.
5. Take the lemon grass, cut the thick end with a sharp knife.  Take the side of your knife and smash the lemon grass to help release the flavour.  I used my food hammer to smash it.
6. Take Thai peppers and lightly smash them.
7. Take a handful of Enoki mushrooms, cut off the bottom and separate the mushrooms.
8. Grap a handful of shredded carrots.
9. Take 1 mid sized tomato and dice into bit size pieces or use 8 cherry tomatoes and cut in half.
10. Cut the baby King Oyster mushroom and dice
11. Make a 1 cm slice of a white onion, and dice into small segments.
12. On a separate plate, assemble the garish
13. Cut a green onion in to small pieces and add to plate.  Assemble cilantro leaves on plate.  Cut limes into segments and add to plate.
14. In a pot, add the water.
15. Heat on high for one minute or until hot but not boiling.
16. Add the galengal, ginger, lemon grass, and chili peppers
17. Cook for 2 minutes on high heat.  Watch to ensure it does not boil over.
18. Add everything else on tray – Enoki mushrooms, carrots, tomato, King Oyster mushrooms and tomato.
19. Then add the lime juice and  the 2 tsp of gluten-free tamari.
20. Cook for 5 minutes on medium heat or until you see the tomatoes are dented and the onions have changed colour.
21. Pour into bowls.
22. Garnish with green onion, cilantro leaves and fresh squeezed lime juice
23. Enjoy the tastes of Thailand.

Tips

• The broth is clear so it is less calories than a coconut milk based soup so if you are watching your calories you might select this soup over the Colourful Spicy Thai Soup.  Either way, both are delicious.
• One of the interesting ingredients for this soup is fresh Galangal which looks a lot like Ginger but is stronger, has reddish skin and is much harder.  You will need a sharp knife to cut it and you don’t eat it – it is for flavour only.
• I was able to locate my Galengal and Kaffir lime leaves at T&T Supermarket however you should be able to find them at most Asian markets.
• I have left out the sugar that is called for in most Thai recipes.  I know it does bring out the sweet and sour taste a bit more, however I really don’t think it is needed to enhance this flavourful soup plus I eat sugar-free and it allows me to enjoy the soup too.
• In Thailand, soup flavours are served with your soup.  You leave them in the bowl or take them out and put on the plate that your soup bowl sits on (if you got one which is not likely).  In Canada, when you order Thai soup, the flavour ingredients are usually taken out.  Now that I have eaten real Thai soup I leave them in.  That way if I have leftovers, extending the soup with a bit of filtered water the next day is very easy as the flavours will continue to enhance your leftovers.

May your day be filled with the tastes of Thailand.

To bringing Thailand to your kitchen.

Jo-Ann Blondin, your 9CupChallenge partner

All photography, images, graphs, charts and content are copyright to Jo-Ann Blondin 2012-2013.