Clear Tom Yum Fish Soup – Tom Som Pla
Tangy, spicy, and super easy to make – this Clear Tom Yum Fish Soup (“Tom Som Pla” in Thai) is super fragrant and appetising. Known as “Tom Som” in Thai (literally, “Boiled Sour”), it is the cousin of the Thai Tom Yum (“Boiled & Mixed”) dish while being no less sour and delicious.
Done in 30 minutes, it’s quite simple to make – toast the herbs, add the stock, boil it, add the fish and mushrooms; and we’re done! The result is a rich and fragrant, highly appetising meal that becomes more and more addictive with every slurp.
This recipe serves 4 to 5 adults.
Ingredients
Fish, specifically, the Brackish Water Fish Fillets, for ease of cooking and eating. Any type of white-fleshed fish works too, in any form, fillets, whole, or partial fish. Depending on the size and thickness of the fish pieces, the boiling time should be adjusted accordingly. The soup should be at a rolling boil before adding the fish – this locks in all the juices, which prevents the soup from becoming fishy in smell and taste. Refrain from stirring the soup once the raw fish has been added, for the same reason.
Salt, to taste.
The following herbs:
Shallots, which are peeled and lightly smashed. They add sweetness to the soup.
Red and green bird’s eye chillies, cut vertically, for some spiciness in taste.
Young galangal, sliced thinly. As young galangal are not as fibrous as old galangal, they can be consumed with the Clear Tom Yum Soup. If they are not available, old galangal can be used – or else, omitted completely as no other herbs can substitute their citrusy fragrance and slightly spicy taste.
Garlic, peeled and crushed lightly. They add the allicin compound, which gives a sweet, earthy flavour to the soup. Once toasted (or slightly caramelized), the flavour profile deepens and improves, giving the soup a rich taste.
Lemongrass stalks, cut to 2 inches in length and crushed lightly, for a citrusy fragrance.
Cilantro (roots), also contributes a sweet, earthy and light fragrance to the soup.
Kaffir Lime Leaves, torn into smaller pieces for their tangy fragrance.
Chicken stock adds a rich and deep taste to the soup. Traditionally, Thai people use plain water as Clear Tom Yum Soup is meant to be a simple but appetising dish. However, I like a little more richness to the soup, so I have found that homemade chicken stock works well. Adjust the amount of salt if using store-bought ones, as they usually contain added salt.
Tomatoes – I used 2 types, the normal one, cut into wedges for easy cooking, and cherry tomatoes for sweetness (which is optional).
The following seasonings:
Salt, to taste and marinate the fish.
Sugar, to balance the sourness and spiciness of the Tom Yum Soup.
Fish sauce, for the lovely fragrance and umami-ness for the soup.
Mushrooms, which add to fibre, protein and nutrition. They also impart a more umami flavour to the dish. I used fresh oyster mushrooms (a staple in Tom Yum dishes), and white shimeji mushrooms for visual contrast. They are washed just before adding them to the soup to prevent sliminess from developing from coming in contact with water a bit too early.
Parsley, chopped finely, for fragrance and nutritional leafy greens to the soup.
Spring onions, chopped finely, both for fragrance and nutrition, as well as visual interest.
Basil leaves – the authentic herb is Holy Basil, which is sold abundantly in Thailand. However, in Malaysia, it is not commonly found, so I used Sweet Basil leaves instead.
Fried chillies, which are crushed by hand and added to the soup. They impart a smokey fragrance, and a light spiciness to the soup. They are also optional.
Lime juice, which is freshly squeezed. These add tanginess to the soup, making it sour. When citrus get treated with heat, they tend to get bitter, so it is recommended to add them at the very end of cooking after the fire has been switched off.
Steps
Here are the brief steps to make the Clear Tom Yum Fish Soup:
- Marinate the fish.
- Toast the herbs.
- Boil the soup.
- Add seasonings.
- Add fish, mushrooms & cherry tomatoes.
- Submerge cilantro & basil.
- Break & sprinkle fried chillies.
- Add lime juice.
Tips
- Any white-fleshed fish can be used, in any form. I used fish fillets for the ease of demonstrating this recipe.
- Using young galangal is highly recommended, as they can be easily consumed and enjoyed since they are not as fibrous as the old galangal. However, if using old galangal, avoid consuming them as they will be too tough to eat.
- Once the herbs have been prepared, the making of the soup is super easy!
- Toasting the herbs caramelizes them, and makes the soup super fragrant.
- Homemade chicken stock is used for a rich soup. However, plain water is traditionally used instead.
- Avoid stirring the soup as the fish is cooking – this prevents the fishy water from escaping into the soup, which in turn, prevents the soup from becoming fishy in smell and taste.
- Switching off the heat before adding the leafy greens slows down the rate of their wilting; however, make sure to submerge them fully so they cook as other herbs are added.
- Do not add lime juice while the fire is still on. When in contact with heat, the lime juice turns bitter. Make sure to add lime juice as the last step.
- Serve with rice, or on its own!
- The nutritional information does not include the serving of rice, and assumes that all the herbs are consumed (which is not necessary).
- Make sure to watch the video to see exactly how I made it!
Storage Instructions
This Clear Tom Yum Fish Soup is best consumed immediately after cooking. It is not recommended to keep it overnight in the fridge, as fish on its own tends to deteriorate rapidly.
It is also not recommended to keep it frozen, as the texture of the fish fillets will be affected due to the formation of ice crystals in the freezer.
Should any other protein be made with this Clear Tom Yum recipe instead, it can be kept in the fridge, in an air-tight container, for up to a day. Ensure to reheat until boiling before consuming.
Recipes You Might Like
- Authentic & Tantalizing Tom Yum Mee Hoon
- Easy Thai Beef Salad (Larb Neua)
- Appetising Steamed Fish Fillets with Lime
- Thai-style Clear Chicken Soup | Tom Som Soup | Tom Yum Gai
Clear Tom Yum Fish Soup – Tom Som Pla
Equipment
- Sharp Kitchen Knife
- Chopping Board
- Pestle and Mortar
- Stockpot/ Deep Pan
- Soup Ladle
Ingredients
- 800 ml chicken stock, or water
Marinate
- 260 g fish
- 1/4 tbsp salt
Herbs to Toast
- 50 g shallots, peeled, washed, lightly crushed
- 25 birds eye chillies, mixed red and green, cut vertically
- 30 g young galangal, sliced thinly
- 45 g garlic, peeled, washed, lightly crushed
- 2 stalk lemongrass, cut to 3 inches and smashed
- 3 cilantro roots, lightly crushed
- 6 kaffir lime leaves, torn into halves
Seasonings
- 1/4 tbsp salt
- 1/2 tbsp sugar
- 1.5 tbsp fish sauce
Vegetables
- 1 tomato, cut to wedges
- 80 g oyster mushrooms, fresh
- 100 g shimeji mushrooms, white, or brown
- 80 g cherry tomatoes
- 10 g spring onions, chopped
- 3 stalks parsley, chopped
- 30 g basil leaves, sweet, or holy
- 6 deep-fried chillies, crushed
- 3 tbsp fresh lime juice
Instructions
- Prepare all the ingredients.
- Marinate the fish evenly on both sides with 1/4 tbsp of salt. Set it aside.
- Place a pot on the stove over medium-low heat.
- Add all the herbs to toast – shallots, bird's eye chillies, galangal, garlic, lemongrass, cilantro roots, kaffir lime leaves. Toast them for about 3 minutes, or until super fragrant and lightly charred. Make sure to stir often to toast them all evenly.
- Pour in the chicken stock, or water. Stir lightly before adding the tomato wedges, and the seasonings: salt, sugar and fish sauce. Give it all a stir to evenly distribute the seasonings. Cover the pot and let it come to a rolling boil, for about 2 minutes.
- Open the lid, and gently add the marinated fish. Do not stir the soup once the fish is added. Then, wash and add the oyster and shimeji mushrooms. Add the cherry tomatoes. Close the lid, and let them boil vigorously for another 2 minutes, or until the fish is fully cooked.
- Open the lid, and gently stir the soup. It should be very fragrant by now. Taste and adjust as preferred. Switch off the heat.
- Add the chopped spring onions, parsley, and basil leaves. Gently submerge them into the soup, stirring lightly.
- Break the fried chillies and sprinkle them all around the soup. Pour the lime juice. Stir gently to mix it all together.
- Serve with some white rice, or on its own!
Video
Notes
- Any white-fleshed fish can be used, in any form. I used fish fillets for the ease of demonstrating this recipe.
- Using young galangal is highly recommended, as they can be easily consumed and enjoyed since they are not as fibrous as the old galangal. However, if using old galangal, avoid consuming them as they will be too tough to eat.
- Once the herbs have been prepared, the making of the soup is super easy!
- Toasting the herbs caramelizes them, and makes the soup super fragrant.
- Homemade chicken stock is used for a rich soup. However, plain water is traditionally used instead.
- Avoid stirring the soup as the fish is cooking – this prevents the fishy water from escaping into the soup, which in turn, prevents the soup from becoming fishy in smell and taste.
- Switching off the heat before adding the leafy greens slows down the rate of their wilting; however, make sure to submerge them fully so they cook as other herbs are added.
- Do not add lime juice while the fire is still on. When in contact with heat, the lime juice turns bitter. Make sure to add lime juice as the last step.
- Serve with rice, or on its own!
- The nutritional information does not include the serving of rice, and assumes that all the herbs are consumed (which is not necessary).
- Make sure to watch the video to see exactly how I made it!