Tom Yum Soup (Vegan Version)
Tom yum — Thailand's hot-and-sour soup — is traditionally made with seafood or chicken, but its flavour framework is built entirely on plant-based aromatics: lemongrass, galangal, kaffir lime leaves, lime juice, and chilli. The vegan version swaps fish sauce for soy sauce (or a soy-mushroom combination), uses mushrooms (oyster, shiitake, straw mushrooms) as the main protein, and achieves the characteristic complexity through the aromatic base alone. What makes tom yum extraordinary is the intensity and precision of its aromatics — lemongrass is bruised, not chopped; galangal is sliced but not meant to be eaten; kaffir lime leaves are torn to release their oils. These are simmered briefly in the broth (5–7 minutes maximum) to extract their volatile compounds, then the soup is finished quickly. Tom yum is not a slow-simmered dish; it is assembled rapidly and served at peak brightness.
Seven in town · three not yet within reach.
- In town
- 7 · coconut milk (full fat), fresh lemongrass, fresh galangal, oyster mushrooms, firm tofu, fresh lime juice, fresh coriander
- Not yet within reach
- 3 · kaffir lime leaves, thai bird's eye chillies, fish sauce substitute (tamari or soy sauce)
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The whole pairingOrigin & Lineage
Thailand; tom yum is central to Thai culinary identity; the soup is believed to have been part of Thai cooking for centuries, documented in royal cuisine as well as street food contexts.