Tom Yum Kung

Ingredients

• Water or stock -- 6 cups
• Fish sauce -- 1 or 2 tablespoons
• Makrut lime leaves -- 4
• Lemongrass, white part of stalk only, crushed --1 stalk
• Galangal (optional), cut into thin rounds -- 2 pieces
• Garlic, crushed -- 2 cloves
• Salt and pepper -- to taste
• Shrimp, peeled and deveined -- 1 1/2 pounds
• Scallions, chopped -- 1/2 bunch
• Straw mushrooms (optional) -- 1 cup
• Limes, juice only -- 2
• Cilantro, chopped -- 1/2 bunch
• Thai chile peppers, sliced into rounds -- 2 or 3

Method

1. Bring the water or stock, fish sauce, lime leaves, lemongrass, galangal, garlic, salt and pepper to a boil in a large pot over medium flame. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside for another 10 minutes to steep. Strain through a fine-meshed sieve and discard solids.
2. Return the stock to a simmer over medium-low heat. Add the shrimp, scallions and mushrooms and continue to simmer over medium-low heat until shrimp is cooked through, 5 to 6 minutes.
3. Stir in the lime juice, cilantro and chilies, adjust seasoning and serve.

Tom Yum Kung Variations

• Tom kha kung: Substitute coconut milk for half or all the water or stock.
• Tom yum gai: Substitute thinly sliced chicken for the shrimp.
• Tom yum hed: A vegetarian variation. Eliminate the shrimp and double the amount of mushrooms.
• Add the shrimp shells from peeling the shrimp to the simmering stock for extra flavor.
• Straw mushrooms are usually found canned. You can substitute thinly sliced button mushrooms if you like, or omit the mushrooms altogether.
• Sliced bamboo shoots can be added if you like.
• If kaffir lime leaves are unavailable, zest the limes before juicing them and use the zest instead.