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Tom Yum, or lemongrass soup, is a popular dish in Thai and Lao cuisine made with fish, lemongrass, garlic, galangal, chili, and other spices. It can be made with seafood, mushrooms, or chicken, and variations include adding rice or coconut milk. The dish is popular in Southeast Asia and can be made from scratch. Traditional ingredients can be substituted if necessary. It can be served as an appetizer or main course and is believed to boost the immune system.
Lemongrass soup, also known as Tom Yum, is a popular dish in both traditional Thai and Lao cuisine. It features warm, acidic aromas brought about by liberal use of lemongrass and other herbs and spices. The soup is normally a fish soup made with Tom Yum noodles. Due to the combination of ingredients, many believe lemongrass soup boosts the immune system and helps fight colds and the flu.
Shrimps, prawns or other mixed seafood are traditionally used to prepare this dish. The fish is cooked in a broth flavored with lemongrass, garlic, galangal, chillies and other spices, according to the chef’s personal taste. Mushrooms are a common substitution for seafood and provide a vegetarian adaptation. Chicken can also be used in place of seafood. A spicy chili paste is sometimes added and is said to provide a good complement to the herbal flavor provided by the other ingredients.
The dish is known by the same name in both Laos and Thailand, but there are minor differences between the two versions of the soup. In Laos, a small amount of rice is added to the soup. Another variation is adding coconut milk to the broth.
Lemongrass soup is now popular in almost all Southeast Asian countries, and Tom Yum noodles have been exported all over the world. The paste is made by frying the pulverized ingredients together in oil and shaking or canning the final product. Instead of using pasta, recipes online and in cookbooks encourage home cooks to try making the dish from scratch.
Not all of the traditional ingredients for this soup can be found in all local grocery stores around the world. In a pinch, kaffir lime leaves can be substituted for a small amount of lime juice, and the galangal is often substituted for ginger. While a common substitution, substituting the galangal for ginger isn’t the best idea because while they look similar, the tastes are quite different.
Many Thai and Lao restaurants in a variety of countries serve this dish. Lemongrass soup can be served as an appetizer or in larger portions as a main course. Many feel the best type of this soup is made from scratch with fresh ingredients and shrimp or prawns. Restaurant staff can provide assistance in deciding the right amount of spiciness to complement the flavor profile.
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