Fragrant Tom Yam Goong with Noodles

Fragrant Thai Hot and Sour Prawn Soup (Tom Yam Goong) with Noodles

Tom Yam Goong is a wonderfully chilli-hot soup which combines the sweet, sour, salty and hot characteristics of Thai cooking perfectly. I make a higher carb. ‘runner’s version’ of this soup by adding rice or buckwheat noodles. The asian stock I made from my two duck carcasses (see yesterday's post ) was just perfect for this soup...and there is some left over for another time. I ate a version of this soup almost every lunchtime when I was in Thailand - it is refreshing and surprisingly easy to digest. It is quick to make yet exotic in taste, the noodles are high in low slow-burning carbohydrate, and the broth is full of antioxidants. If you have had a sweaty, hot workout, you will find this soup a good option as the broth will replace lost salts. The prawns are en excellent source of protein and minerals such as selenium, iron, zinc and magnesium. You can add extra vegetables such as peppers or mange tout if you like. I used haricots verts, fennel and mushrooms last night.


Serves 4
500g raw, unpeeled prawns (pack of raw frozen prawns is a good alternative)
1 ½ litres stock - chicken, duck.
2 stalks lemongrass, outer layers removed, inner parts bashed with a rolling pin to release the flavour
2 cm piece of fresh ginger or galangal, sliced very finely
6 kaffir lime leaves
2-3 tbs Thai fish sauce
6 spring onions, sliced diagonally
150g finely sliced mushrooms
1 tomato chopped (optional)
2 tsp palm sugar or brown sugar
1 tsp chilli paste
2-4 red chillis, chopped finely, seeds removed if very hot
3 tbs freshly squeezed lime juice
large bunch fresh coriander, roughly chopped
250g noodles (such as Thai rice noodles, soba or buckwheat noodles)

1. Peel the prawns, remove the dark vein and set aside. Place the shells and heads in a pan with the stock. Bring to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Strain the stock and discard the shells. (If you used peeled frozen prawns you will have to omit this stage)
2. Bring the stock to the boil again and add the lime leaves, ginger and lemon grass. Boil rapidly for several minutes and then turn down to a low heat.
3. Add the mushrooms, tomato, spring onions and chilli paste and chillis.
4. Cook the noodles according to the pack instructions in a separate pan and drain.
5. Add the prawns to the stock pan, then the lime juice, sugar and fish sauce and simmer for a couple of minutes until the prawns turn pink. Adjust the flavour with more chilli sauce, fish sauce, sugar or lime juice if necessary. Remove the lemon grass, as this is not nice to eat, and then add the noodles.
6. Stir in the fresh coriander and serve. You could serve some extra chillis on the side for the brave…