Chicken and Prawn Tom Yum Soup
This iconic hot and sour chicken and prawn tom yum soup is the perfect nourishing soup. Imagine spicy chillies, zesty lime, tangy tamarind and umami-rich fish sauce in a creamy broth. Add in tender chicken and juicy prawns and you have a surprisingly simple, utterly delicious, soup. The ideal comfort food.
Servings: 2 servings
Ingredients
For the soup:
- 1 L chicken stock
- 1 small onion roughly chopped
- 1 tomato chopped
- 2 lemongrass sticks ends trimmed and lightly bashed
- 3 slices galangal
- 4 kaffir lime leaves
- 1 tsp red chilli paste
- 2 tsp fish sauce
- 1/2 lime juiced
- 2 chicken thighs boneless & skinless, cut into strips
- 165 g raw peeled jumbo prawns
- 100 ml full-fat coconut milk
To serve:
- 2 spring onions thinly sliced
- 1 red chilli thinly sliced
- Sprigs of fresh coriander
- 2 tsp crispy chilli oil
- Lime wedges
Instructions
- Pour the chicken stock into a large heavy-based pan and set over a medium heat. Add the onion, tomato, lemongrass, galangal, kaffir lime leaves, chilli paste, fish sauce and lime juice. Bring to the boil then reduce the heat and simmer gently for 15 minutes to allow the flavours to infuse.
- Add the chicken strips to the simmering broth, then allow to poach for 7-10 minutes - or until cooked through and no pink remains.
- Add the prawns and coconut milk, stir gently, then leave to simmer for 3-4 minutes - or until the prawns are cooked and pink. Taste and adjust the flavours - adding more chilli if you prefer a spicier soup, a squeeze of lime for more acidity or fish sauce for more salt (you could also add a pinch of salt).
- Spoon into bowls and garnish with sliced spring onions and chillies, sprigs of fresh coriander and a drizzle of crispy chilli oil. Serve with lime wedges on the side.
Notes
Step by Step: for more visual aids, scroll up to my step by step guide to making this recipe.
Herbs: if you aren’t a fan of coriander you can swap for parsley, thai basil, regular basil or leave it out.
Chilli: I leave the seeds in my chillies as I like spicy food. However, you can deseed them if you prefer (or omit entirely).
Noodles: you can make this chicken and prawn tom yum soup more substantial by adding some dried noodles. Rice, egg, wholewheat, buckwheat, soba - whatever you fancy!
Make ahead: you can make this chicken and prawn tom yum soup up to the stage where the chicken thighs are cooked through. Then pour into a tupperware, cool quickly, cover and chill in the fridge for up to 3 days. When ready to eat, pour into a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Add the prawns and continue with the recipe. Don’t be tempted to cook the whole recipe in advance. The prawns will overcook when you reheat and become rubbery.
To store: any leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
To reheat: Reheat on the stove or in the microwave until piping hot (check the chicken is fully hot all the way through too)
To freeze: Seafood can be tricky to reheat once cooked as the texture changes and it will never taste as good so I wouldn’t recommend freezing this tom yum soup as it’s written. However, you can make it without the prawns and freeze for up to 3 months. Simply defrost in the fridge before reheating until piping hot. Then add the prawns at the last minute. Just add them into the hot broth for the final few minutes and simmer until cooked through.