Easy Tom Yum Soup Recipe | Thai Soup (Vegetarian, Vegan)

Tom Yum Soup is an easy-to-make, hot, and sour Thai clear soup recipe where the flavors come from the addition of galangal, lemongrass, and lime. This soup is my favorite comfort food during winter.

Also, check out our lemon coriander soup and best noodle soup recipe this winter season.

Spicy Thai Soup

This is my simple and classic version of clear tom yum soup (Tom Yum Goong Nam Sai); add evaporated milk and Thai chile paste for a creamy tom yum soup (Tom Yum Goong Nam Khon).

Thai Tom yum soup is oil-free, easy to make, refreshing, spicy, and perfect for the cold weather. This soup helps cure colds. The combined flavor of fresh lemongrass, lime juice, galangal, crushed red chiles, and Thai green pepper makes it aromatic with balanced sourness and spiciness.

Ingredients

Lemon grass: Fresh lemongrass enhances the flavor of the soup recipe. If it is not available, use frozen or dried ones.
Galangal: authentic tom yum soup is made using galangal, which looks very similar to ginger. If unavailable, skip or simply add ginger.
Lime leaves: If fresh ones are unavailable, use frozen ones or atleast dried ones to get the thai taste.
Lime juice: Right amount of sourness.
Thai chilies: Gives the heat.
Mushrooms: For flavor.
Garnish: Fresh herbs like cilantro, basil, or spring onions will work.
Sauce: Traditionally, fish sauce is used, but I prefer soy and Worcestershire sauce for a vegan version.

See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.

How to make clear Tom Yum soup?

• In a pot, add all the ingredients (mushroom, shitake, spring onions, carrot, green chile, jaggery, galangal, ginger, coriander stalk, Worcestershire sauce, soy, sauce, lime juice, lime leaves, lemongrass, red chile, salt to taste and water with a bouillon or stock) and bring this to boil. 
• Reduce the heat to medium-low flame and simmer for atleast 15-20 minutes till all the flavors are well combined.
• Add tofu or shrimp and cook for another 3 minutes. Switch off the flame.
• Garnish it with cilantro/coriander leaves just before you serve.
• Serve hot, and enjoy

Tips

• If you can't find galangal, then add additional ginger slices.
• Add boiled noodles just before serving to make a Thai noodle soup. A complete meal in itself. 
• You can substitute Worcestershire and soy sauce with fish sauce.
• This soup tastes the best when served hot and spicy. So try to make it spicier.
• I have made this tom yum soup oil-free. To get the restaurant-style taste, you can add chile oil. 
• If it becomes too sour, add a little extra brown sugar. 
• You can add ½ coconut milk and ½ water while making this soup. 

*I have used a vegan/vegetarian version of Worcestershire sauce. Make sure you check the ingredient list in the sauce before you use it.

Recipe FAQs

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Recipe card

Easy Tom Yum Soup Recipe | Thai Soup (Vegetarian, Vegan)

Kushi

Tom Yum Soup is an easy-to-make, hot, and sour Thai clear soup recipe where the flavors come from the addition of galangal, lemongrass, and lime. This soup is my favorite comfort food during winter.

5 from 7 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Course Dinner, Lunch, Soup

Cuisine Asian, Thai

Servings 5

Calories 89 kcal

Equipment

• ▢
  Pot

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• ▢ 4 oz Mushroom
• ▢ 6 Shitake mushroom
• ▢ 2 Spring onions chopped
• ▢ ½ Carrot finely chopped
• ▢ 2 Green Chilies / Thai pepper
• ▢ 1 teaspoon Jaggery or Brown sugar
• ▢ 3 Galangal thin slices
• ▢ 3 Ginger thin slices
• ▢ 5 Coriander stalks finely chopped
• ▢ 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce*
• ▢ 1 tablespoon Soya sauce
• ▢ 2 to 3 tablespoon Lime juice or Lemon juice
• ▢ 3 to 4 Lime leaves
• ▢ 2 tablespoon Lemongrass stalk chopped
• ▢ 1 Red chilie crushed
• ▢ Salt to taste
• ▢ 5 cups Water with a bouillon cube or any broth of your choice
• ▢ 4 oz Tofu or shrimp for non-vegan version
• ▢ Cilantro or Coriander leaves for garnish

Instructions

 

• In a pot, add all the ingredients (mushroom, shitake, spring onions, carrot, green chile, jaggery, galangal, ginger, coriander stalk, Worcestershire sauce, soy, sauce, lime juice, lime leaves, lemongrass, red chile, salt to taste and water with a bouillon or stock) and bring this to boil.
  4 oz Mushroom, 6 Shitake mushroom, 2 Spring onions chopped, ½ Carrot finely chopped, 2 Green Chilies, 1 teaspoon Jaggery or Brown sugar, 3 Galangal thin slices, 3 Ginger thin slices, 5 Coriander stalks finely chopped, 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce*, 1 tablespoon Soya sauce, 2 to 3 tablespoon Lime juice or Lemon juice, 3 to 4 Lime leaves, 2 tablespoon Lemongrass stalk chopped, 1 Red chilie crushed, Salt, 5 cups Water
• Reduce the heat to medium-low flame and simmer for atleast 15-20 minutes till all the flavors are well combined.
• Add tofu or shrimp and cook for another 3 minutes. Switch off the flame.
  4 oz Tofu
• Garnish it with cilantro/coriander leaves just before you serve.
  Cilantro or Coriander leaves for garnish
• Serve hot, and enjoy

Notes

• If you can't find galangal, then add additional ginger slices.
• Add boiled noodles just before serving to make a Thai noodle soup. A complete meal in itself. 
• You can substitute Worcestershire and soya sauce with fish sauce.
• This soup tastes the best when served hot and spicy. So try to make it spicier.
• I have made this tom yum soup oil-free. To get the restaurant-style taste, you can add chile oil. 
• If it becomes too sour, add a little extra brown sugar. 
• You can add ½ coconut milk and ½ water while making this soup. 

*I have used a vegan/vegetarian version of Worcestershire sauce. Make sure you check the ingredient list in the sauce before you use it.

 

Nutrition

Calories: 89kcalCarbohydrates: 15gProtein: 4gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0.2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.3gSodium: 327mgPotassium: 251mgFiber: 2gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 1205IUVitamin C: 8mgCalcium: 50mgIron: 1mg

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Note: We originally posted this vegan tom yum soup recipe in Jan 2016. It has now been modified in Sep 2023 with Expert Chef Tips, FAQs, Storage Instructions, etc.