Tom Yum Talay: Thai Seafood Soup

Prep: 12 mins

Cook: 15 mins

Total: 27 mins

Servings: 4 to 6 servings

Yield: 10 to 12 cups

This Thai seafood soup is authentic and incredible tasting with its delicious combination of seafood, lemongrass, coconut milk, and lime. The soup soothes and uplifts the spirit as well as the body. In Thailand, Tom Yum Talay is known for its health benefits and is the Thai equivalent of chicken noodle soup when you're feeling ill. And, once you have all of the ingredients, it's also remarkably easy to make. Prepare this soup on a chilly fall or winter day and you'll soon feel thoroughly warmed from the inside out.

“The Thai seafood soup was delicious. I had everything but the galangal, so I substituted it with ginger. The ingredients list might seem long, but there’s very little chopping involved. I found it a quick soup to throw together, and the suggestions made it easy to tweak various ingredients for perfect flavor.” —Diana Rattray

A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

• 6 cups chicken stock

• 1 stalk lemongrass, minced, or 2 1/2 to 3 tablespoons frozen or bottled prepared lemongrass

• 2 makrut lime leaves

• 4 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 teaspoon grated galangal, or ginger

• 1 to 2 red Thai bird chilies, thinly sliced, or 1 to 2 teaspoons Thai chili sauce

• 1 cup mushrooms, sliced thinly, optional

• 12 medium raw shrimp, shelled and deveined

• 1 to 4 cups mixed seafood of choice, such as mussels, scallops, crab, or fillet

• 1 medium tomato, cut into thin strips

• 3 to 4 pieces baby bok choy, optional

• 7 ounces full-fat coconut milk

• 2 tablespoons fish sauce

• 1 tablespoon soy sauce

• 2 1/2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice

• 1 teaspoon sugar

• 1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Steps to Make It

1. Gather the ingredients.

   

2. Add the stock, lemongrass, and lime leaves to a large pot over medium-high heat. If using fresh lemongrass, also add the upper stalk pieces for extra flavor. Bring to a boil.

   

3. Add garlic, galangal, chili, and mushrooms if using. Reduce heat to medium. Simmer until mushrooms are soft, 2 to 3 minutes.

   

4. Add the shrimp, seafood, tomato, and baby bok choy, if using. Simmer over medium heat until the shrimp turns pink and mussels have opened, 3 to 4 minutes. Scallops, crab, and fish should all be firm to the touch and no longer translucent.

   

5. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add the coconut milk, fish sauce, soy sauce, lime juice, and sugar, and stir well to combine. Gently simmer until hot (do not boil at this point). Taste-test the soup, adding more fish sauce, soy sauce, lime juice, sugar, or coconut milk, if desired.

   

6. Divide into bowls and garnish with cilantro. For an extra hit of flavor, you can also add some Thai chili sauce, Nam Prik Pao, either store-bought or homemade. 

   

Substitutions

If you have any trouble finding the ingredients, just try the recommended substitutions and it will still turn out great.

• If you can’t find lemongrass use 3 slices fresh lemon (boil in the soup).
• Instead of makrut lime leaves use 1/2 teaspoon lime zest.
• For the chili, substitute 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper or dried crushed chili (chili flakes).
• If you don’t like the smell of fish sauce, try 1/2 teaspoon dark soy sauce plus 1 tablespoon regular soy sauce.

How to Store Tom Yum Talay Soup

• Refrigerate leftover tom yum talay soup within 2 hours of serving and eat within 2 to 3 days.
• Reheat the soup in a saucepan over medium-low heat until it is hot (about 165 F).

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4 to 6
Amount per serving
Calories	312
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 13g	17%
Saturated Fat 8g	38%
Cholesterol 95mg	32%
Sodium 1406mg	61%
Total Carbohydrate 19g	7%
Dietary Fiber 1g	2%
Total Sugars 6g
Protein 29g
Vitamin C 11mg	57%
Calcium 90mg	7%
Iron 5mg	27%
Potassium 846mg	18%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.