Prawn Tom Yum Soup with Noodles Recipe

A hot and sour Thai soup with juicy prawns, aromatic lemongrass, galangal, lime leaves and coriander, served with soft rice vermicelli noodles.

Prep Time: 15–20 minutes
Cooking Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 25–30 minutes
Serves: 2
Cuisine: Thai
Course: Soup / Main Dish

Tags: Tom Yum · Prawn Recipes · Thai Recipes · Noodle Soup · Spicy Soup · Quick & Easy

Ingredients

For the Tom Yum Soup

• 200g frozen prawns, peeled and deveined
• 2-inch piece galangal
• 5 lime leaves, fresh or frozen, or lime zest as a substitute
• 1 banana shallot
• 3 stalks lemongrass
• 1 bunch coriander
• 3 cloves garlic
• 80g oyster mushrooms
• 3 tbsp fish sauce
• 2 tbsp Thai chilli paste
• 2 tbsp fresh lime juice
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 litre water

For the Noodles

• 200g rice vermicelli noodles, cooked

To Garnish

• Fresh coriander
• Fresh red chillies, sliced

Method

1. Prepare the aromatics

Peel and thinly slice the galangal.

Finely chop the banana shallot.

Trim the lemongrass, using the white parts and tender roots, then lightly crush them.

Separate the coriander leaves from the stems and roots. Reserve the roots for the soup and the leaves for garnish.

Crush the garlic cloves.

2. Make the Tom Yum broth

Bring 1 litre of water to the boil in a large pot.

Add the galangal, lime leaves, banana shallot, lemongrass, coriander roots and crushed garlic.

Boil for 2 minutes to infuse the broth.

3. Add the prawns and mushrooms

Add the prawns and oyster mushrooms to the broth.

Reduce the heat and simmer for approximately 4 minutes, until the prawns are cooked through.

4. Season the soup

Add the fish sauce, Thai chilli paste, lime juice and salt.

Simmer for a further 1 minute.

Taste and adjust the balance of spicy, sour and salty flavours if needed.

5. Add the noodles

Divide the cooked rice vermicelli noodles between two serving bowls.

Ladle the hot Tom Yum soup and prawns over the noodles.

6. Garnish and serve

Top with fresh coriander and sliced red chillies.

Serve immediately while hot.

Notes

• Use fresh or frozen lime leaves: Fresh or frozen leaves give better flavour than dried leaves. If unavailable, use fresh lime zest instead.
• Do not overcook the prawns: Simmer only until they are cooked through to keep them tender.
• Adjust the heat: Add more or less Thai chilli paste according to your preferred spice level.
• Balance the flavour: Tom Yum should have a clear balance of sour, salty and spicy flavours. Adjust the lime juice, fish sauce and chilli paste to taste.