Tom Yum Goong (Spicy Thai Shrimp Soup)

This is a thin echo of real Tom Sum. There's far too much liquid for the ingredients, and the result is a soup that tastes like thin lemonade made with dishwater. The "shells" from a pound and a half of shrimp aren't sufficient to flavor adequately two cups of broth, much less six. And then the recipe calls for more water. What a mess. You'll need the shrimp heads--and a lot more chiles--for this recipe to have a chance at working.

So fresh tasting and smells yummy-the only thing I "had" to change was the shrimp-we had none and were too cranky to go to the store! Subbed in rice noodles from our local asian market we already had on hand.

This is so delicious - better than some Thai restaurants' versions. I did not vary the ingredients at all except for leaving out the peanuts - I've never seen TYG served with them. Will make again and again.

Outstanding! Great flavors & low cal. The stock takes time but the recipe is simple. Used ginger instead of galangal. Couldn't find roasted red chili paste, so I used 1T red curry paste instead. I may start making the stock ahead of time & freezing it for a quick dinner later.

Fantastic! Ever since my favorite Thai restaurant closed, I've been craving this soup, and this recipe is spot-on. Minor modifications - I used raw frozen shrimp this time - a 2 lb bag with 1/4 of it for the broth. I also added 2 tbsp of Tom Yum paste just to boost the flavors a bit, though that probably wasn't necessary, and much more lime as I love the fresh taste. I didn't want noodles, so I doubled the mushrooms to give it more substance. The flavors do take a while to fully develop. I was a little disappointed when I first tasted it because I could taste all the individual components but overall it didn't zing. By the end of the bowl it was perfect, and now on Day 2 I couldn't be happier. If you don't have the ingredients locally, check Amazon.com or other online sellers. I found a Thai produce kit that had enough kaffir lime leaves, galangal, lemongrass, Thai chiles, and fresh limes for two batches of soup for $14. It's worth it to get the right taste. Epic yummy!

I think this is fantastic. I made it once with ginger and lime and the 2nd time with galangal and kaffir leaves (after finding a Chinese grocery store, the general markets don't have these items), both were delicious. Great flavor in the broth and I made mine really spicy. I served once over rice stick noodles and once over glass noodles. I personally prefer glass noodles. I can't comment on authenticity or compare to what this soup is "supposed" to taste like, but as it is here it's delicious.