A vegan version of one of my favourite Thai dishes is this Tom Yum or a Thai Hot and Sour Soup. It’s super aromatic and has a perfect balance of sour, hint of sweetness, and a little bit of spice. It’s both light and hearty, and also actually really healthy. You can make a creamy version of this Tom Yum by adding evaporated milk.
WHAT IS TOM YUM SOUP?
Tom yum soup is a Thai hot and sour soup distinct for its sour flavour, very similar to Filipino sinigang or sour soup. Tom Yum is also very aromatic from its use of kaffir lime leaves that gives the distinct flavour and sourness, lemongrass, galangal, lime juice, and other ingredients.
CLEAR VS. CREAMY TOM YUM
You can make the clear version of Tom Yum or make a creamy Tom Yum version with some vegan evaporated milk or even coconut milk. It's totally up to your preference but I love the added richness the coconut milk gives to this soup.
Creamy Tom Yum is traditionally made with evaporated milk and coconut milk is used for Tom Kha (Thai coconut soup). But for this vegan recipe, I find that coconut milk works just as well!
THE AROMATICS FOR THE SOUP
These are what really bring this soup to life and give all the flavour, so these are the most important elements of this recipe!
KAFFIR LIME LEAVES
Kaffir lime leaves, also know as markut lime leaves, are very citrusy and what helps give this vegan tom yum soup the distinct sour taste. They come fresh or dried, and depending on what you have access to, both work really well.
Kaffir or makrut lime plants are utilised mostly for their leaves but also bear fruit. See the photo above containing the small fruit in the top left).
Though I personally would prefer using fresh ones for optimal flavour. I store my fresh leaves in the freezer and simply grab a few leaves when I need to use some for a recipe.
They're still so fresh even after freezing! I keep mine in a silicon bag (I love my Stasher bag) and can keep it frozen for months on end.
So before using your kaffir lime leaves, you need to crush/break them apart to release all the flavour. They'll smell SO GOOD and really citrusy!
WHAT IS LEMONGRASS?
Lemongrass, also known as tanglad in Filipino, is distinct for its citrusy aroma and flavour. Though despite its name, it’s actually not sour! It’s commonly used in Filipino cuisine and in other Southeast Asian cuisines. The tall leaves are inedible and are actually quite sharp, and it’s the bottom 4-5 inches from the top of the roots that are the most aromatic.
If harvesting lemongrass, be careful with the leaves since they can be sharp. Be sure to peel the outer layers of lemongrass until you reach the more tender flesh in the centre.
Photo below is my lemongrass (tanglad) plant!
The outer shell of the lemongrass is actually very tough so you’ll need to peel them off to be able to reach the inner flesh that is much more tender and will be easier to slice and pound. The shells of the bottom parts can be kept and used for teas and in soups such as this one.
The lemongrass stalks in soups are not edible and are used for flavour, and they can be removed after they’ve simmered in the broth and have released the flavour.
The flavour really comes from the base (closer to the roots) of the lemongrass (see photo above) so if you're able to get them fresh from your local story or grocery, I highly suggest utilising the bulbs/stalks at the bottom!
MY GALANGAL PLANT:
So a family friend gave a small galangal plant to me over a year ago and I replanted it in a pot. Now I'm able to get a few galangal at a time. I know they're good to harvest when their stalks/leaves start to turn brown and dry up.
GINGER VS. GALANGAL: WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE?
The main difference (at least for me) between ginger and galangal is the flavour. Galangal has a somewhat citrusy, peppery, and very pungent flavour while ginger is somewhat sweet and spicy.
And of course there's the difference in terms of appearance.
WHAT CAN I USE INSTEAD OF GALANGAL?
Okay so nothing can exactly mimic the flavour of galangal so if you can get it fresh or even bottled (in minced/paste form), I'd really recommend it. But if you really don't have access to any galangal, for a last resort you can opt for ginger and some pepper (since galangal has that mild peppery taste) and I can say that this sub works well!
Though of course if you have access to galangal, I highly suggest you use that instead of ginger.
CHILI SAUCE
- Thai chili paste or sauces (nam prik pao) usually contains shrimp or fish so if you're vegan, a great alternative is sambal oelek or even doubanjiang (a Chinese Sichuan chili sauce). I love to use doubanjiang because of the extra umami and saltiness it has from the fermentation process.
- You can also add more or less of the chili sauce depending on your desired spice.
I love the addition of chilli sauce to add that nice spicy kick and extra flavour! Other chili sauces such as sriracha could also work well. It's totally up to you too how much chili spice you'd like.
For my chili garlic sauce, you can get my homemade recipe here.
VEGETABLES FOR THIS TOM YUM SOUP
As for the veggies, I used some baby corn and halved straw mushrooms.
Both of these were canned but if you'd like to use fresh ones, that'd be even better! You can also use other mushrooms like fresh oyster mushroom. I also really like the texture of straw mushrooms in this soup.
I also added in some tomatoes and fresh bird's eye chilies for spice. If you want that spice but not too spicy, you can opt to remove the seeds of the chilies.
COCONUT SUGAR, VEGAN FISH SAUCE, AND LIME JUICE
This trio is what gives the soup that balance of sweet, savoury, and sour/tangy! You'll find the perfect balance of the these flavours with a little bit of trial and error at the start and you'll have to taste along the way to find your preference in terms of flavour. So feel free to adjust depending on your desired taste!
VEGAN EVAPORATED MILK
- Creamy Tom Yum is traditionally made with evaporated milk and coconut milk is used for Tom Kha (Thai coconut soup).
- I use a vegan evaporate coconut milk but I find that coconut milk works just as well!
PREPARE THE AROMATICS
Crush the lemongrass to release the oil and aroma. I usually just do this by pounding on it using the dull end of a cleaver or a pestle. Slice the stalks into 3-4 inch pieces.
Crush the garlic as well and then peel. Break apart the kaffir limes and slice the chillies.
COOKING THE TOM YUM
This recipe requires just 1 pot!
I heated up a pot and sautéed the aromatics along with the tomatoes before adding in the liquid.
I left it down to cook until all the flavours form the aromatics seep out and you get a really flavourful soup base.
I added in some of my homemade vegan fish sauce for that extra layer of flavour and savoury taste. It makes a big difference in terms of taste!
I mixed in the vegan evaporated milk (or coconut milk) to add a little bit of creaminess to the soup (but nothing too thick at all).
Hope you enjoy this tasty and really comforting recipe!
TOM YUM NOODLE SOUP
You can make a tom yum noodle soup for a perfectly hearty and cozy meal by adding some cooked rice noodles or other noodles of choice.
- To start, soak thin rice noodles in boiling hot water for 7-8 minutes or until the noodles turn into a solid white colour and are chewy to your liking. The noodles will also turn into solid white colour.
- Transfer the noodles to a bowl.
- Pour tom yum soup over the noodles and top with some vegan 'fish' and 'shrimp' balls or other toppings of your choice (like fried beancurd). Garnish with cilantro, if desired. Enjoy!
You might enjoy these other vegan recipes:
Vegan Thai Tom Yum Soup
Ingredients
Aromatics
- 2 stalks lemongrass , the more tender stems near the roots
- 6 cloves garlic
- 10 pieces kaffir lime leaves fresh or dried (see notes)
- 4 Thai or bird’s eye chiles
- 2-3 slices fresh galangal or ginger with pepper (see notes)
Soup
- 1 tbsp neutral oil
- 1 small onion sliced into squares or small wedges
- 3 small tomatoes sliced into wedges
- 6 cups vegetable broth (see notes)
- 7 oz straw mushrooms or other mushrooms like oyster, trumpet, or button mushrooms
- 7 oz baby corn sliced
- 1 tbsp coconut sugar or palm sugar, adjust according to desired taste
- 1/3 cup vegan fish sauce add 1 to 2 tbsp more to taste as needed, see homemade recipe here
- Salt to taste
- 1/2 cup lime juice from 2-33 limes add 1 to 2 tbsp more to for sourness, if needed
- 12.2 fl. oz vegan evaporated coconut milk (1 can) -- or 1 cup coconut milk, if making a creamy version, see notes
- 1 tbsp red chili sauce or paste , adjust according to desired heat (see notes)
For Serving
- Fresh cilantro for garnish
- More lime juice to squeeze (if desired)
For Noodle Soup
- Thin rice noodles
- Vegan 'fish' & 'shrimp' balls or other toppings of choice
Instructions
- Crush the lemongrass to release the oil and aroma. I usually just do this by pounding on it using the dull end of a cleaver or a pestle. Slice the stalks into 3-4 inch pieces.Crush the garlic as well and then peel. Break apart the kaffir limes and slice the chillies.
- For the veggies, I simply sliced the straw mushrooms in half and the baby corn into small pieces. If using oyster mushrooms, simply break these apart.
- Heat a large pot over medium high heat. I used a dutch oven.
- Add in the oil. Once hot, sauté the onion and tomatoes. Add in the garlic, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, chiles, galangal or ginger with pepper. Sauté the aromatics for 2 to 3 minutes over medium high heat until the onion is translucent.
- Add in the vegetable broth to the pot.
- Cover the pot and leave to boil over high heat. Leave for the aromatics to release their flavours.
- Once the soup boils and is fragrant, add in the mushrooms, baby corn, sugar, fish sauce, and salt, to taste. Mix well and then leave to simmer of medium high heat for 5 minutes or until the mushrooms and corn cook down.
- Mix in the lime juice, evaporated/coconut milk (if making the creamy version), and chili sauce. Mix everything together and taste the soup. Feel free to add more lime juice (for sourness), sugar (for sweetness), chili sauce (for spice) and fish sauce (for saltiness). You can also add in more salt as needed.
- Leave the soup to cook down for another 7 to 8 minutes over medium heat for all the flavours to infuse. At this point the tomatoes will have cooked down.
- Kaffir lime leaves and lemongrass are tough and not meant to be consumed. You can remove the aromatics from the soup or simply set these aside when you come across them in your soup.
- Serve the soup hot with more lime juice and some cilantro, if desired. Enjoy!
- To make a tom yum noodle soup, soak thin rice noodles in boiling hot water for 7-8 minutes or until the noodles turn into a solid white colour and are chewy to your liking.
- Once chewy to your liking, drain the noodles from the water.
- Transfer the noodles to a bowl.
- Pour tom yum soup over the noodles and top with some vegan 'fish' and 'shrimp' balls or other toppings of your choice (like fried beancurd). Garnish with cilantro, if desired. Enjoy!
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Notes
Kaffir Lime Leaves
- Also known as markrut lime leaves, kaffir lime leaves have a distinct citrus and sour flavour.
- I highly recommend using fresh or frozen leaves if you have access to them. I have both fresh (that I froze) and frozen and find that freshly frozen ones have a stronger smell and flavour compared to dried. But dried ones still work well too! Make sure to crush your leaves well to release all the flavours.
- Kaffir lime leaves are tough and not meant to be consumed. You can remove the aromatics from the soup or simply set these aside when you come across them in your soup.
What if I don't have galangal?
Ginger and pepper
- Traditional tom yum really uses of galangal, that has a milder flavour and peppery taste compared to ginger. I've made this recipe without galangal and used ginger with pepper instead sine I didn't have galangal. But if you have access to galangal, then by all means, that'd be the best!
- You can also try bottled crushed galangal to use. These bottles store well in the refrigerator and are ready to use.
Evaporated Milk/Coconut Milk
- Creamy Tom Yum is traditionally made with evaporated milk and coconut milk is used for Tom Kha (Thai coconut soup).
- I use a vegan evaporate coconut milk but I find that coconut milk works just as well as long as you don't mind the coconut-y flavour.
- I also recommend to start with 1 cup coconut milk instead of the whole can and adjust from there.
Red Chili Paste or Sauce
- Thai chili paste or sauces (nam prik pao) usually contains shrimp or fish so if you're vegan, a great alternative is sambal oelek or even doubanjiang (a Chinese Sichuan chili sauce). I love to use doubanjiang because of the extra umami and saltiness it has from the fermentation process.
- You can also add more or less of the chili sauce depending on your desired spice.
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