Tom Yum Noodle Soup

Name: Tom Yum Noodle Soup
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 1
Cuisine: Thai
Ingredients: 18 grams / 1 small Asian Red Shallot – thinly sliced; 15 grams / 3 Thai Red Chilies (Bird’s Eye or any other small hot red chilies – to taste, note 1) – destemmed, roughly chopped; 12 grams / 2 Garlic cloves – destemmed, roughly chopped; 40 grams / 3 Cherry Tomatoes – halved; 30 grams / 1 Cremini Mushroom (or any other type of mushrooms) – sliced; 2 Makrut Lime Leaves (note 2) – destemmed, minced into a fine powder; 6 grams / 1 TSP Better Than Bouillon Roasted Chicken Base (or use 250ml/ 1 cup store-bought or homemade chicken broth – note 3); 250ml / 1 cup boiling Hot Water; 200ml / 7 fluid ounces Water; 20 grams / 1 TBSP + 1 TSP Tom Yum Paste (note 4); 15 grams / 1 TBSP Thai Chili Paste/Chili Jam (Nam Prik Pao – note 5); 30ml / 2 TBSP Evaporated Milk; 100 grams / 3.5 ounces peeled and deveined Shrimp (or prawns) – rinsed thoroughly; 170 grams / 6 ounces Fried Triangular Fish Blocks (note 6); ¼ TSP Thai Chili Powder (substitute with crushed red pepper if unavailable); ¼ TSP sugar-free granulated White Sugar Replacement (or other sweetener of choice – note 7); 1 TBSP Fish Sauce, to taste; 1 TBSP freshly squeezed Lime Juice; 55 grams / 1.94 ounces Thin Dried Egg Noodles (or other noodles of choice); To Serve: chopped Coriander (Cilantro)

by Lavina // posted February 12, 2024

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Spicy, sour and savory, Thai Tom Yum Noodle Soup is a quick and easy comforting weeknight meal that’s exploding with bold flavors! It’s ready in under 30 minutes, customizable with your favorite protein and noodles, and so DELICIOUS!

Bowl with tom yum noodle soup with shrimp and fish blocks topped with coriander.

If you love Thai tom yum soup, this Tom Yum Noodle Soup is going to blow your mind!

It’s quickly become one of my most made and favorite easy weeknight dinners and I think you’re going to love it too!

We have here:

A spicy, savory and tangy broth.
Fragrant aromatics like garlic, chilies and makrut lime leaves.
Mushrooms and sweet cherry tomatoes.
Juicy jumbo prawns and fish blocks.
Bouncy and chewy egg noodles.

Thanks to using store-bought instant tom yum paste, you don’t need several Thai aromatics to make the broth. This dish is ready in under 30 minutes and exploding with all the hot, sour, salty and slightly sweet flavors you love in tom yum soup!

While I’ve used thin dried egg noodles, rice noodles, vermicelli or any type of noodles would taste delicious in the punchy tom yum broth. You can also switch up the proteins and make this delicious noodle soup with chicken, tofu, Asian fish balls or even crown your bowl with dumplings, wontons or boiled eggs!

If you love the flavors of tom yum soup, try my Creamy Tom Yum Pasta and Tom Yum Fried Rice!

Why This Recipe Works

Quick and easy. All you need is a handful of ingredients and this tom yum noodle soup is ready in under 30 minutes!
Convenient. Using store-bought instant tom yum paste speeds up the process of making the tom yum broth and eliminates the need to source several Thai aromatics.
Incredible flavors. Smashing the garlic and chilies using a mortar and pestle releases their oils and beautiful aromas. They infuse the broth with more pronounced flavors.
Customizable. The broth can be seasoned to your liking with fish sauce, sugar, Thai chili powder, and lime juice. You can also use any type of protein you love.
Anytime meal that’s better than takeout! This dish can be made any time you’re craving a hot, spicy and sour bowl of Thai noodle soup. It not only tastes better than takeout, it’s ready quicker than ordering in too!

Ingredient Notes and Substitutes

Labeled ingredients for Tom Yum Noodle Soup on wooden board.

Aromatics: We have Asian red shallots, garlic and fresh red chilies. Thai Bird’s Eye or any other small hot red chilies will work.
Veggies: Cherry tomatoes and cremini mushroom. Feel free to use any other mushrooms such straw, button, baby king oyster, oyster, enoki mushrooms, etc.
Makrut Lime Leaves: Also known as kaffir lime leaves, this fragrant Thai herb has a citrusy aroma and adds a sweet lime-like scent and flavor to Thai food. Find it in a Thai grocery store or substitute with the ground dried version or dried makrut lime leaves, which both can be found in most well-stocked mainstream supermarkets.
Better Than Bouillon Roasted Chicken Base: I used this to bouillon paste to make a robust flavored chicken broth by combining it with hot water. Store-bought or homemade chicken broth can be used instead.
Tom Yum Paste: I used a store-bought instant tom yum paste for convenience instead of using fresh Thai aromatics like galangal, shrimp paste, lemongrass, and other ingredients typically used to make tom yum soup. My favorite brand is Por Kwan as it is hotter and not as sweet as other instant tom yum paste brands. That said, any brand will work and you can adjust the spice and sweetness levels to your desired liking with seasonings.
Thai Chili Paste/Chili Jam (nam prik pao): A sweet and savory jarred roasted chili paste that has the texture of jam. It’s also known as “roasted chili paste” or “roasted chili paste in soybean oil”. It’s used in dishes like tom yum soup, Thai roasted chili fried rice and sometimes in Thai cashew chicken stir-fry. Find it in a Thai or Asian grocery store or order a jar online.
Evaporated Milk: Many people think that the creamy versions of tom yum soup is made with coconut milk. However, evaporated milk is typically used to give the broth a creamy texture. Substitute with regular whole milk, a splash of single cream, or half and half instead. You’re welcome to use coconut milk if you’d like the tom yum soup to have a Thai curry like flavor.
Shrimp (or prawns): I recommend using jumbo sized shrimp (size 16/20 – which means 16-20 pieces per pound of shrimp). They have the best juicy sweet flavor and texture. However, smaller sized shrimp can be used.
Fried Triangular Fish Blocks: I used a pack of triangular shaped fried fish blocks. They can be found in Asian supermarkets in the fridge section. Feel free to sub in another protein of choice. I can vouch that fried tofu puffs also taste great in this tom yum noodle soup. You could also simply use more shrimp.
Thai Chili Powder: A combination of chili flakes, seeds and powder. Substitute with crushed red pepper if unavailable or omit if less heat is desired.
White Sugar Replacement: I used Lakanto Classic Monkfruit Sweetener which is a monkfruit and erythritol blend. Use any other sweetener you prefer.
Thin Dried Egg Noodles: Feel free to use thin dried egg noodles, rice noodles, vermicelli, or other noodles of your choice.

Closeup of tom yum noodle soup in bowl topped with coriander.

Full ingredient list and amounts are in the recipe card below.

How to Make Tom Yum Noodle Soup

Prepare the ingredients. Roughly chop the garlic and chilies. Using a mortar and pestle, pound into a coarse paste and set aside. If you don’t own a mortar and pestle, finely chop them instead. Prepare the rest of the fresh ingredients.

Smashed chilies and garlic paste in mortar.

Build the broth. Pour the chicken broth and water into a small pot and set over medium-high heat. Add the tom yum paste, shallot, smashed garlic and chilies paste and minced makrut lime leaves. Simmer for a few minutes.

Add the mushrooms. Simmer for another minute.

Shallots, garlic and chilies simmering in broth in a pot.

Stir in the evaporated milk and Thai chili paste. Stir until the paste has dissolved.

Pouring in evaporated milk into pot with broth.

Add the shrimp, triangular fish blocks and cherry tomatoes. Simmer until the shrimp is just cooked.

Season. Remove from the heat and stir in lime juice, fish sauce, Thai chili powder and sugar. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed.

Added shrimp and fish blocks to spicy Thai soup in pot.

Prepare the noodles. Cook the noodles in a pot of boiling water according to package instructions. Drain and transfer to a bowl for serving.

Fork holding up cooked egg noodles above pot.

Serve! Ladle the tom yum broth, shrimp and fish blocks over the noodles in the bowl and garnish with chopped coriander. Serve immediately while hot!

Top view bowl and pot with tom yum noodle soup with shrimp and fish blocks.

Full detailed instructions are in the recipe card below.

Cook’s Tips

Don’t overcook the shrimp. They only need a few minutes in the broth to cook through. You don’t want to overcook them as they will become hard and rubbery.
Adjust seasonings to taste. Due to instant tom yum pastes varying in heat, sweetness and acidity levels, you can adjust the seasonings until it is to your desired taste. Add more or less sugar, fish sauce, lime juice and Thai chili powder as needed.

Closeup of tom yum noodle soup in bowl with a spoon topped with coriander.

Variations

Use a different protein. Sliced chicken thigh fillets or tenderloin, Asian fish balls, fish tofu, tofu puffs, pan-fried tofu, etc. You can also top off your bowl with a medium boiled egg, dumplings or wontons.
Use different noodles. Rice noodles, ramen, udon or even shirataki noodles or zucchini noodles can be used for a lower carb option.
Make it milder. Use less fresh red chilies, chili powder and slightly less tom yum paste. You don’t want to use too little tom yum paste as otherwise it won’t have the same wonderful flavors that you love in a hot, spicy and sour tom yum soup.
Make it creamier. Use single cream, or coconut milk if you don’t mind the curry-like flavor that coconut milk will infuse the broth with. You could also just use more evaporated milk than the amount I’ve specified.
Omit the evaporated milk. For a non-creamy broth, leave out the evaporated milk completely.

Chopsticks pulling up noodles from bowl with tom yum noodle soup.

FAQs

Can I make tom yum noodle soup vegetarian?

Use light soy sauce instead of fish sauce, vegetable broth, a vegetarian Thai chili paste (Mae Pranom brand makes one), vegetarian instant tom yum paste that doesn’t contain any shrimp or fish ingredients. Use tofu or a plant-based meat substitute for the protein and add additional mushrooms if desired.

Is tom yum noodle soup spicy?

Like tom yum soup, the broth of tom yum noodle soup is spicy, sour and savory. However, like with most Thai food, you can adjust the seasonings and use less fresh chilies and chili powder to make it a milder dish.

Can this be made ahead?

The soup can be made ahead and stored in the fridge in a sealed airtight container for 2-3 days. Reheat in a pot on the stovetop. Cook the noodles just before serving, then ladle the reheated broth on top and garnish with coriander.

Chopsticks pulling up noodles from bowl with spicy shrimp noodle soup. Text overlay "Thai Tom Yum Noodle Soup" and "thatspicychick.com".

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