Putting the YUM in Tom Yum!

Pardon my sweat moustache, but I just ate this soup and I was a bit heavy handed on the chilli. Whoops.

Andy has a cold, you see. I like to bust out this recipe when ever there is a hint of the sniffles. We never want that shit to progress to man-flu, know what I’m saying? I load this sucker up with enough chilli and garlic to blast hubby a new bunghole … then pray to the she-gods of marital saviour that whatever ailment was looking to take my man down backs away, before I’m left with a giant human whimpering on the lounge.

This soup IS delicious though, and you can adjust the chilli to taste, of course.

Vegetable Tom Yum Soup

*Since hubby doesn’t dig tofu, and I’m not keen for dead animal, I cook a bit of each up separately and we add them into our bowls. But you guys go right ahead and ad whatever y’all like into this mix to get a bit of protein in there, but for now – it’s a vegetable recipe.

You’ll need:

• About 1.5 litres of stock. I use vegetable, but chicken is cool too. You just want some pretty flavoursome stuff – the more punch your stock has, the better this soup will be.
• 2-3 kaffir lime leaves.
• Chilli to taste. I use fresh chilli, but flakes or the pre-mushed stuff from the fruit and veg section of your supermarket will also do the trick.
• 1 or 2 lemongrass stalks. Once again, the pre-mushed stuff is fine.
• 3 or 4 cloves of crushed garlic.
• Half a bunch of coriander.
• Thumb sized piece of ginger.
• Handful of slice mushrooms. I usually use the button, but have mixed it up depending on what was around. Shiitake are also nice (and fun to say, let’s be honest).
• 1 punnet of cherry or grape tomatoes.
• 2 small bunches of bok choy. You can really mix it up with anything green – snow peas, tender stem broc etc, or a mix of all of them … whattevs.
• 1 tbs brown sugar.
• 4-5 tbs soy sauce.
• 2 tbs lime juice.
• 1 cup coconut or carnation milk (optional – to taste).
• Extra coriander, chilli and lime to serve.

What to do:

*If I know that we’re having this for dinner, I like to get the stock and the flavours going in the slow cooker all day long, just to really give it some POW! But, I usually forget to do that … so the way I’m about to tell you is perfectly fine …

Prep: Finely slice lemongrass • chop coriander • grate or finely slice ginger • chop mushrooms • halve tomatoes • sort out your greens however you like ’em • mix sugar, soy sauce, lime juice and milk (if you’re adding it) in a mug and set aside.

• In a large pot mix your stock, chilli, garlic, ginger, lemongrass, lime leaves and coriander (*this is the mix I let simmer in the slow cooker if I’m organised). Bring to the boil and leave it for for at least 5 – 10 minutes, so that the flavours really get a chance to get going in there.
• Throw your mushrooms in and reduce to a simmer for another 6-8 minutes or so, until the mushrooms are nice and soft.
• Add your greens and tomatoes then simmer for couple of minutes (you want these to stay pretty crunchy and snappy).
• Reduce heat right down before adding the sugar/saucey mix, giving it all a really good stir at this point.
• Pluck out the lime leaves, nobody wants to get them in their bowl – then have a little taste. You can adjust how sweet, salty or sour your soup is to taste, by adding a little bit more sugar, soy sauce or lime juice.
• Get it into your bowls and slurp it up!