Spicy Sour Soup with Chicken (Tom Yum Gai)

Thai translation – Tom = Spicy Soup, Yum = Sour, Gai = Chicken

Tom Yum soup is a flavoursome and aromatic soup that is a favourite of many people. It is a simple and fresh dish that is made with chilli, galangal, lemongrass, coriander and kaffir lime leaf. It is made with prawns (tom yum goong) or in this case, chicken but is also often made with mushrooms (tom yum het), frog (tom yum kob) or fish (tom yum pla).

Bamboo Shoot and Pork Soup (Naw Mai Moo Nam)

Thai Translation - Naw Mai = Bamboo Shoot, Moo = Pork, Nam = Water

This soup is a distinctly northern dish. It is made with fresh bamboo shoots that are cut from the base of certain types of bamboo plants. The shoots are then shredded and boiled with pork bones to make a delicate soup with soft pork meat.

Bamboo shoots can be purchased in jars or tins from Asian grocery stores. You should endevour to buy whole bamboo shoots rather than the pre-cut ones as they will have a better flavour for the soup. Some Asian grocery stores will also have the fresh ones which are much better to use though!

Coconut Chicken Soup (Tom Kha Gai)

Thai Translation – Tom = Spicy Soup, Kha = Galangal, Gai = Chicken

Tom Kha Gai is a warm, creamy and aromatic soup that is a crowd favourite. It is made with coconut milk and the essential ingredient that must be used in it is galangal. This is a root spice that is similar to ginger, but very different. You should not attempt to make this with ginger instead of galangal as the flavours will be all wrong. Tom Kha Gai can be served in small bowls with a side dish of rice and when eating it you should avoid the woody lemongrass, galangal and lime leaf. You can also add a few drops of chilli oil to the surface of the soup for taste and presentation and a small dish of fish sauce to add a saltiness to the soup if desired.

Tom Yum Soup with Prawns

Thai Translation – Tom Yum= Sour Spicy Soup, Goong = Prawn

Sour, sweet and spicy are words that can be used to describe this unique and full-flavoured soup. Made with lemongrass, kaffir lime and galangal, this soup will heat you up and freshen your senses. The best thing about this soup is that it is really easy to make so it is a great introduction to Thai cooking.

Pork Noodle Soup (Gway Tiao Moo Nam)

Thai Translation – Gway Tiao = Rice Noodles, Moo = Pork, Nam = Water

Noodle soups are a very common dish.They are usually sold by street vendors and typically consist of a  simple soup stock that is flavoured with a range of meats and seasoned to taste with fish sauce, ground and fresh chilli's and sometimes vinegar or sugar. This meal can be served in small portions as an entree to a Thai feast, or is just a quick and easy meal.