Tom Yum Soup with homemade chicken stock

👨‍🍳 Method

For the homemade chicken stock ✓ Homemade · or skip – back to store-bought

1. 1
   Put the chicken, the onion, carrot, celery, parsley, bay leaves and peppercorns and the water in a pot and bring to a boil. Skim off the foam that rises during the first 15 minutes with a spoon.

   StovePot
2. 2
   Turn down and simmer gently 2.5–3 hours.

   Stove

   💡A gentle simmer, not a boil: a hard boil dries the food out and clouds it, a slow simmer cooks it evenly.
3. 3
   Strain the stock.

   Colander

For the Soup

1. 4
   Bring to a boil in a wide pot the stock, lemongrass, ginger, lime leaves and chili.

   StoveWide, shallow pot
2. 5
   Turn down the heat and simmer 5 minutes, until the stock takes on the flavor of the lemongrass and ginger.

   Stove
3. 6
   Add the coconut milk and bring to a gentle boil.

   Stove

   💡Bring coconut milk only to a gentle boil: a long, hard boil makes it split and the fat floats.
4. 7
   Stir in the fish sauce, lime juice and sugar. Taste: the soup should be sour, salty and spicy. Adjust to taste.

   💡Balance at the end, once the flavors have come together: add sour, sweet and salty a little at a time, tasting between additions.
5. 8
   Add the mushrooms and cook 3 minutes. Add the shrimp and cook 3 minutes, until pink.

   Stove
6. 9
   Serve hot in bowls, and sprinkle the cilantro on top.