Tom Yum Chicken Spicy Sour (Printable Version)

Spicy, sour Thai soup with tender chicken, fragrant herbs, and citrusy aromatics ready in under an hour.

# What You'll Need:

→ Chicken

01 - 14 oz boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts, thinly sliced

→ Broth

02 - 5 cups chicken stock
03 - 2 stalks lemongrass, trimmed and smashed
04 - 4 slices fresh galangal (about 0.4 oz), or 2 tsp dried galangal
05 - 5 makrut lime leaves, torn into pieces
06 - 4 birds eye chilies, lightly crushed

→ Vegetables & Aromatics

07 - 5 oz mushrooms (oyster or button), sliced
08 - 2 medium tomatoes, cut into wedges
09 - 1 small onion, sliced
10 - 3 cloves garlic, smashed

→ Seasonings

11 - 3 tbsp fish sauce
12 - 2 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
13 - 1 tsp sugar
14 - ½ tsp salt

→ Garnish

15 - 2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
16 - 1–2 spring onions, thinly sliced
17 - Extra lime wedges

# Steps to Follow:

01 - Bruise the lemongrass, galangal, and makrut lime leaves with the back of a knife to release their aromatic oils.
02 - Bring chicken stock to a boil in a large pot. Add lemongrass, galangal, makrut lime leaves, birds eye chilies, and garlic. Simmer uncovered for 5 minutes to infuse flavors.
03 - Add sliced chicken and onion. Simmer for 8–10 minutes, skimming off any foam that rises to the surface.
04 - Stir in mushrooms and tomato wedges. Cook for 5–7 minutes until vegetables are tender and chicken is fully cooked.
05 - Add fish sauce, lime juice, sugar, and salt. Taste and adjust seasoning to achieve the signature Tom Yum balance of sour, salty, and spicy.
06 - Remove from heat. Discard lemongrass, galangal, and lime leaves if preferred. Ladle into bowls and garnish with cilantro, spring onions, and lime wedges.

# Additional Tips::

01 -
  • This soup comes together in under 40 minutes but tastes like it simmered all day
  • The fragrance alone will make your entire home feel warm and inviting
  • Its incredibly forgiving once you understand the sour salty sweet spicy balance
02 -
  • The broth should taste slightly more intense than you think is right because it will mellow slightly as it sits in the bowl
  • Galangal is not the same as ginger, though they look similar, and substituting will change the flavor profile completely
  • Fresh lime juice is nonnegotiable here because bottled juice lacks the bright complexity this soup needs
03 -
  • If you cant find fresh galangal, look for frozen slices at Asian markets rather than using dried
  • The broth tastes even better the next day, so consider making a double batch
  • Remove the large pieces of lemongrass and galangal before serving unless you enjoy chewing on them
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