Mushroom Tom Yum Soup - A light and flavorful Thai soup recipe (2024)

Published: Mar 7, 2021 by Vandana Chauhan. This post may contain affiliate links.

Mushroom Tom Yum soup is a light Thai soup full of refreshing flavors. It's very easy to make and gets ready quickly. This vegan Thai mushroom soup is relished even by meat-lovers.

This post contains affiliate links. Please read my full disclosurehere.As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

If you follow my blog then you must be aware that Thai is one of my favorite cuisines because of its refreshing flavors.

Though I love good food from every part of the world, the aroma of Indian and Thai food makes me instantly happy. The reason is some common ingredients which are used in these cuisines like cilantro, lime, and chili peppers.

Today I am sharing a vegan soup recipe from one of my favorite cuisines- Thai Mushroom Tom Yum Soup.

Your whole house will get filled with a comforting Thai food aroma when you make this soup. Don’t get surprised by unexpected self-invited guests from your neighborhood :).

What is Tom Yum Soup?

Tom yum soup is a delicious hot & sour soup from Thailand which is mainly cooked with shrimps or prawns. It's also known as Thai hot & sour soup.

The soup got its name from two Thai words – Tom which means boiling and yum or yam which means mixing i.e. mixing the flavors together.

This soup gets its main flavors from three amazing Thai ingredients – Kaffir lime leaves, lemongrass, and galangal.

Tom yum soup can be made in two different ways:

1. Clear: Only broth is used
2. Creamy: Evaporated milk and chili paste are also added to it.

My mushroom Tom Yum soup recipe is a clear vegan version of Tom Yum soup which is equally delightful.

Are Tom Yum and Tom Kha the same?

No, Tom Yum and Tom Kha are not the same. Though they both are Thai hot and sour soup, the main difference between them is that Tom yum is made without coconut milk and Tom kha is made with coconut milk.

What goes in mushroom tom yum soup?

To make mushroom tom yum soup you will need the following ingredients:

1. Mushrooms: Use whichever mushroom variety is available. I have used cremini and enoki mushrooms. I would recommend using a combination of different mushrooms, if possible.
2. Cherry tomatoes: Regular tomatoes can be used too, just cut them into big pieces and add to the soup.
3. Thai red chili pepper: Or use any hot chili pepper that's available.
4. Lime: Kaffir lime/ regular lime. Though Kaffir lime is more flavorful, it's not easily available everywhere so, you can use regular lime too.
5. Galangal: Fresh/ dried both are fine.
6. Kaffir lime leaves: I never found any ingredient that is as refreshing as Kaffir lime leaves. So, I would not recommend replacing it with any other ingredient. However, if you could not find it at all, add lime zest and increase the amount of lemongrass in the recipe. Though you won't get the same result but still will be able to enjoy the soup.
7. Fresh cilantro: Use leaves as well as stems.
8. Lemongrass stalk: You don't need to remove the hard woody cover of lemongrass in this recipe because the lemongrass stalk will be removed from the soup before serving.
9. Light brown sugar: Coconut sugar or palm sugar can be used too.
10. Chili flakes
11. Soy sauce
12. Vegetable oil: Use any other neutral-flavored oil of your choice.
13. Vegetable stock

Can you freeze this soup?

Yes, you can freeze this Thai mushroom soup. Put it in batch size containers and store in the freezer. It will be fine for 3-4 months.

You can also make a flavorful broth by following the recipe till kaffir lime leaves, lemongrass, and galangal are cooked in the broth. After that allow it to cool down and then freeze.

When you want to enjoy mushroom tom yum soup, re-heat the broth. Discard lime leaves, lemongrass, and galangal. And, then follow the remaining steps of the recipe given in the recipe card.

Serving suggestions

Though the most preferred way of enjoying this dish is as a soup, you can also serve Mushroom Tom Yum soup in the main course with some steamed jasmine rice or sticky rice.

Recipe tips & tricks

• Instead of vegetable stock, mushroom stock can be used too for a richer mushroom taste.
• You can also add more ingredients like baked tofu cubes and vegetables like broccoli, carrot, snow peas, etc.
• For creamy Tom yum soup, add around ½ a cup of evaporated milk after removing lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, galangal, and boil. Also, add around 1.5 tablespoons of Thai chili paste along with soy sauce.
• Though Mushroom Tom Yum Soup can also be made with only one variety of mushrooms, I would recommend using at least two different types of mushrooms to add an interesting texture.
• Chili flakes can burn very quickly so make sure to switch off the gas before adding them and add the stock within a few seconds of adding chili flakes.
• Don't overcook the tomatoes in Tom Yum soup. 1-2 minutes of cooking is enough. Don't allow the tomato skin to fall off.

More vegan Thai recipes

If you also love Thai food and want to try some easy vegan Thai recipes at home then don't miss to check the following links:

1. Thai cabbage salad
2. Vegan Thai red curry with tofu
3. Thai curry noodles
4. Stir-fried mushrooms Thai style
5. Vegan Pad Thai
6. Mango sticky rice

More vegan mushroom recipes

And, if you want to try some more easy mushroom recipes then the following links are worth checking:

1. Vegan mushroom soup
2. Mushroom rice
3. Mushroom noodles
4. Kerala style pepper mushroom

Step by step photo instructions

If you liked this recipe, please leave a star rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ in the recipe card below. You can also follow me on Instagram, Youtube, and Pinterest.

Recipe