Thai Tom Yum Soup

A high-protein bowl that’s almost fat-free

Tom yum’s nutrition profile is unusually lopsided for a soup: nearly all protein, next to no fat, and barely any carbohydrate at all. Per serving, across four servings:

Twenty-eight grams of protein for only 130 kcal is a striking ratio. Shrimp is close to fat-free on its own, and nothing else in the recipe — aromatics, fish sauce, lime, mushrooms — adds meaningful fat or carbohydrate. This is one of the leanest dishes by calorie count anywhere on this atlas.

The trade-off is that a bowl this light isn’t a complete meal on its own in most Thai households: tom yum is typically served alongside rice, which supplies the carbohydrate almost entirely missing from the soup itself.

History

The name tom yum comes directly from two Thai cooking verbs: “tom,” to boil, and “yum,” to combine with a spicy-sour dressing. Put together, the name is really a description of the technique itself — a boiled broth built around that distinctive push-pull of heat and acidity central to Thai cooking.

Galangal, one of the soup’s defining aromatics, is routinely mistaken for ginger by visitors, though the two are different rhizomes with distinctly different flavor profiles — galangal is sharper, more citrusy, and slightly piney. Just as important is timing: the lime juice always goes in off the heat, at the very end, since boiling it directly turns the soup bitter and dulls its brightness.

Ingredients — for 4 people

• 500g shrimp, shells reserved for stock
• Lemongrass, galangal, kaffir lime leaves
• 200g mushrooms, Thai chilies, shallots
• Fish sauce, lime juice, nam prik pao (chili paste)

Step-by-step tom yum recipe

1. Simmer shrimp shells with lemongrass, galangal, and kaffir lime leaves to build the broth.
2. Strain the broth and return it to the pot, bring back to a simmer.
3. Add mushrooms, chilies, and shallots, cook 5 minutes.
4. Add the shrimp and cook just until pink and opaque, 2-3 minutes.
5. Remove from heat, then stir in fish sauce and nam prik pao.
6. Finish with lime juice only once off the heat, adjust seasoning, and serve hot.

Cooking method

Technique: aromatic broth built by simmering, finished raw off the heat to preserve the acidity and fragrance.

Traditional equipment: a simple pot; a mortar and pestle helps bruise the lemongrass and galangal to release their oils.

Landmark to watch: lime juice added while the broth is still boiling turns bitter fast — always take the pot off the heat first.

Economic context

Shrimp is the priciest item in this recipe by a wide margin over the aromatics and pantry staples around it, which is why tom yum gai (chicken instead of shrimp) is the everyday version served in most home kitchens, while the shrimp version leans toward restaurant menus and special occasions.

Source: World Bank / FAO, Food Prices for Nutrition database (Cost and Affordability of a Healthy Diet) v4.0, 2024 data, CC BY 4.0, DOI 10.57966/41AN-KY81. Retrieved 29 July 2026. This figure describes the cost of a healthy diet in Thailand generally — it is not a costing of this specific recipe.

Who this dish suits

What about you?

In your opinion, what’s the best place or restaurant to enjoy great tom yum?

Also worth trying