The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
TOM YUM (YUM YUM)
Prep time: 15 minutes. Cook time: 12 minutes
This is an invigorating, spicy Thai soup made with shrimp and oyster mushrooms, and flavored with chili, lemongrass, galangal and lime leaves. It will clear your head (and your sinuses). Galangal is commonly available in Asian markets and many large grocery stores. The cooking process is very quick, so have everything ready to go before you start. Don’t be surprised that this version of tom yum is pale, not red. The color comes from using Thai roasted chili paste, nam phrik phao (see tip below), or ready-made tom yum paste.
7 ounces sustainably sourced raw
shrimp
4¼ cups boiling water
1 stick of lemongrass, lightly
bruised
1¼ inch piece of galangal,
coarsely sliced
6 lime leaves, torn into pieces 1 hot red chili and 1 mild green chili, sliced into rings (seed the red chili and use just half if you don’t like heat)
6 cloves of garlic, peeled 1 teaspoon palm or brown sugar 1¾ ounce oyster mushrooms,
torn into bite-size pieces 1 tablespoon fish sauce, or more
to taste juice of 1 lime, or more to taste To serve: cilantro
Peel and devein the shrimp and set aside.
Pour the boiling water into a saucepan set over medium heat. Add the bruised lemongrass, galangal, lime leaves, chili and garlic, and simmer together for about 8 minutes. Bring up to a steady boil, then add the sugar, mushrooms and shrimp. Cover with a lid and cook for 3 minutes, or until the shrimp are pink and cooked through.
Remove from the heat and add the fish sauce and lime juice, then taste and decide if you would like to add more of either.
Ladle the soup into large bowls, leaving behind the lemongrass stalk and as much of the lime leaves, garlic, and galangal as you can, as none of these are good to eat. Garnish with the cilantro and eat straightaway.
Tip: Try this with chicken or chunks of firm-fleshed fish, or make it vegetarian by poaching Asian greens, broccoli, beans and pepper in the broth. For the classic red color, swirl in a spoonful of Thai roasted chili paste, nam phrik phao, at the end of cooking.
Serves: 4 as an appetizer or 2 as a main course
Per appetizer serving: 74 calories (percent of calories from fat, 11), 11 grams protein, 5 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram fiber, 1 gram fat (trace saturated fat), 75 milligrams cholesterol, 432 milligrams sodium.