Chapter 10 Classic Thai Soups: Tom Yum, Tom Kha, and Beyond Soup is a lot like family. Each ingredient enhances the others; each batch has its own characteristics; and it needs time to simmer to reach full flavor. Marge Kennedy In this chapter are fourteen classic Thai soup recipes that you will find in various incarnations throughout Thailand. Even if you ve never been to Thailand, you will probably recognize the first two recipes: tom yum and tom kha, the iconic soups of Thai cuisine. The rest of the recipes are not as easy to find outside Thailand. While you may find them on some international Thai menus, they haven t become as standardized as tom yum and tom kha. They often have dramatically different tastes and ingredients, depending on which region of Thailand they come from. For example, you ll often find a small selection of noodle soups on international Thai menus, but Thai noodle soups are so diverse with so many influences that it s almost impossible to find two noodle soups that are the same. I consider that a good thing. Sometimes it s good to make recipes without any preconceived idea of how they should taste! Without the expectation of how you think it should be, you re less likely to be disappointed and think the results are not authentic. But don t get too hung up on making things authentic. Over time, influences from near and far have shaped and changed Thailand s cuisine, introducing new foods and flavors. This happens everywhere and is one of the reasons I think the word authentic when describing any cuisine can be a little misleading. For example, did you know that bird s eye chiles (and other chile varieties grown in Thailand) are not native to Thailand? They were actually introduced by Portuguese traders in the sixteenth century. Food customs change and evolve too. Traditionally, soup in Thailand was more of a side dish 83
that would accompany the main meal. While this is still true today, many soups are now full meals on their own, part of busy street-food culture for working folks needing a quick meal. What s considered authentic today probably wasn t considered authentic a hundred years ago, and at the current pace of globalization, it surely won t be considered authentic a hundred years from now. My point is to allow these recipes to guide you; however, don t feel you have to follow them too literally. Remember Thai Soup Secret #5 (page 31)! You ll learn a lot from making each soup differently every time, altering a few things, changing up the veggies or the meats, and, of course, adjusting the seasonings. 84 THE THAI SOUP SECRET
Tom Yum Goong Makes 3 to 4 servings Hot and Sour Soup with Shrimp Thailand s most famous soup, tom yum is the king of all Thai soups. Popular throughout Thailand, it s on every menu in every Thai restaurant outside of Thailand too, and rightfully so. All the quintessential flavors of Thailand are present here, and though variations are widespread, there are three essential elements: The first is the fragrant triple gem of lemongrass, galangal, and kaffir lime infused in broth. The second is the heat of bird s eye chiles. And the 85 Chapter 10: Classic Thai Soups: Tom Yum, Tom Kha, and Beyond
third is seasoning it all to taste with the sour Chiles, Chiles, Chiles! and salty flavors of lime juice and fish sauce. Depending on your personal love or hate After those three constants, you ll see tons of of heat and spice, you can use as many or differences among recipes for this soup. Shrimp as few chiles as you want. Many recipes call (goong means shrimp) is the most common for using a lot more than what I ve included protein, though other types of seafood and here, though I ve found even just three bird s eye chiles add an intense punch of heat. Start even chicken can be used too. Some versions with one chile, taste the soup, and add more if use sugar to give it a little added sweetness. needed. Or leave them out entirely if you want. Some use different vegetables. Many versions It won t exactly be traditional without chiles, add coconut milk or even cow s milk to give it but who the heck cares. Ask a hundred native a creamy consistency. Many also use a canned Thais what s the most traditional version of tom yum paste that s simply dissolved in the tom yum, and you ll get a hundred different broth, though I would encourage you not to answers. All that matters is what you like. Even take this shortcut as this just can t compare to without chiles, it will still have plenty of flavor. fresh ingredients! Also, most commercial tom yum pastes use MSG, soybean oil (a very poor-quality oil), and other chemical flavorings. Ingredients 1 quart fish broth, shrimp broth, chicken bone broth (pages 47-54), or water 2 stalks lemongrass, cut into ¼-inch thick slices (page 23) 1 (1-inch) piece fresh galangal, cut into ⅛- to ¼-inch thick slices 8 to 10 kaffir lime leaves, ripped in half 1 to 3 bird s eye chiles, sliced into thin rings (see sidebar) 1 medium onion, coarsely chopped 1 medium tomato, coarsely chopped 1 cup oyster, shiitake, or straw mushrooms, wiped clean and coarsely chopped ¼ to ½ cup fish sauce, or to taste ¼ to ½ cup fresh lime juice, or to taste 15 to 20 large shrimp, cleaned and peeled or left whole Cooked jasmine rice, for serving (optional) 86 THE THAI SOUP SECRET
Seasonings, to Taste Fish sauce Coconut sugar Scallions, finely chopped Fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped Lime wedges Directions 1. Bring the broth to a gentle boil in a medium to large pot over medium-high or high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low or medium and add the lemongrass, galangal, and kaffir lime leaves and simmer about 10 minutes. 2. Add the bird s eye chiles, onion, tomato, and mushrooms, and simmer for 4 to 5 minutes. 3. Add ¼ cup of the fish sauce and ¼ cup of the lime juice, slowly adding more of each, up to ½ cup (or more, to taste). 4. Add the shrimp and simmer for 2 to 3 more minutes, until the shrimp turn pink and are cooked through. 5. Ladle the soup into individual bowls and season with the fish sauce, coconut sugar, scallions, and cilantro to taste. Serve with lime wedges on the side. (Alternatively, you may use any combination of those to suit your own tastes.) 6. For a more complete meal, serve the soup with jasmine rice on the side (if using). 87 Chapter 10: Classic Thai Soups: Tom Yum, Tom Kha, and Beyond
Tom Kha Gai Makes 1 to 2 servings Coconut Chicken Galangal Soup If tom yum goong is the king of Thai soups, tom kha gai is the queen. Some might even say it s superior to tom yum in popularity. Whichever rules supreme, I can t say for sure, but both are equally featured on Thai menus all over the world. And both have many similarities. They both use the triple gem of lemongrass, galangal (kha means galangal), and kaffir lime leaves. They both use bird s eye chiles. They both use similar seasonings. And they both feature different types of meats, though chicken (gai means chicken) is probably most commonly 88 THE THAI SOUP SECRET
used in tom kha. The main difference is that tom kha always uses coconut milk. My version of tom kha gai is inspired from the island of Ko Lanta in southern Thailand. The Thai family that ran the guesthouse where I stayed made the absolute best version of the soup I had anywhere in Thailand. One day, I asked if I could come into the How Many Chiles Should You Use? For a mild spice, use only one chile; for a medium spiciness, use two; and for a really good kick, use three or more. For zero kick, don t use any chiles at all. kitchen to observe how they made it. I wanted to document how they made it so I could re-create it in America. They were surprised that a foreigner was so interested in their cuisine, and they welcomed me with open arms. I ll never forget the smiles on their faces as I stood there taking notes and snapping pictures. Ingredients 1 to 2 cups chicken bone broth (pages 47-51) 1 (14-ounce) can full-fat coconut milk 2 stalks lemongrass, cut into ¼-inch thick slices (page 23) 1 (1-inch) piece fresh galangal, cut into ⅛- to ¼-inch thick slices 8 to 10 kaffir lime leaves, ripped in half 2 to 3 cooked or raw chicken thighs or breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces 1 to 3 bird s eye chiles, sliced into thin rings (see sidebar) 1 medium onion, coarsely chopped 1 medium tomato, coarsely chopped 1 cup oyster, shiitake, or straw mushrooms, wiped clean and coarsely chopped Cooked jasmine rice, for serving (optional) Seasonings, to Taste Fish sauce Fresh lime juice Coconut sugar Fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped Scallions, finely chopped 89 Chapter 10: Classic Thai Soups: Tom Yum, Tom Kha, and Beyond
Directions 1. Bring the broth and coconut milk to a gentle boil in a medium pot over medium-high or high heat. (For a thicker consistency, use less broth and more coconut milk and vice versa.) 2. Add the lemongrass, galangal, and kaffir lime leaves and reduce the heat to medium-low or medium and simmer 5 to 10 minutes. 3. Add the chicken. For cooked chicken, gently simmer for 1 minute to reheat. For raw chicken, simmer for 2 to 3 minutes or until it s cooked through and no longer pink in the middle. Be sure not to boil the soup, as this will make the chicken overly tough. 4. Add the bird s eye chiles, onion, tomato, and mushrooms and simmer for 2 to 3 more minutes. 5. Ladle the soup into individual bowls and season with the fish sauce, lime juice, coconut sugar, cilantro, and scallions to taste. (Alternatively, you may use any combination of those to suit your own tastes.) 6. Serve with a side of jasmine rice (if using). 90 THE THAI SOUP SECRET