We are independent & ad-supported. We may earn a commission for purchases made through our links.
Advertiser Disclosure
Our website is an independent, advertising-supported platform. We provide our content free of charge to our readers, and to keep it that way, we rely on revenue generated through advertisements and affiliate partnerships. This means that when you click on certain links on our site and make a purchase, we may earn a commission. Learn more.
How We Make Money
We sustain our operations through affiliate commissions and advertising. If you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase, we may receive a commission from the merchant at no additional cost to you. We also display advertisements on our website, which help generate revenue to support our work and keep our content free for readers. Our editorial team operates independently of our advertising and affiliate partnerships to ensure that our content remains unbiased and focused on providing you with the best information and recommendations based on thorough research and honest evaluations. To remain transparent, we’ve provided a list of our current affiliate partners here.
Culinary

Our Promise to you

Founded in 2002, our company has been a trusted resource for readers seeking informative and engaging content. Our dedication to quality remains unwavering—and will never change. We follow a strict editorial policy, ensuring that our content is authored by highly qualified professionals and edited by subject matter experts. This guarantees that everything we publish is objective, accurate, and trustworthy.

Over the years, we've refined our approach to cover a wide range of topics, providing readers with reliable and practical advice to enhance their knowledge and skills. That's why millions of readers turn to us each year. Join us in celebrating the joy of learning, guided by standards you can trust.

What Is Lemongrass Soup?

By P.M. Willers
Updated: May 17, 2024
Views: 7,737
Share

Lemongrass soup, also known as Tom Yum, is a popular dish in both traditional Thai and Laotian cuisine. It features hot and sour flavors brought about by a liberal use of lemongrass as well as other herbs and spices. The soup is normally a seafood soup made from a base of Tom Yum paste. Due to the combination of ingredients, many believe that lemongrass soup strengthens the immune system and helps fight cold and flu.

Prawns, shrimp, or other mixed seafood is traditionally used to prepare this dish. The seafood is cooked in a broth flavored by lemongrass, garlic, galangal, chiles, and other spices, depending on the chef's personal taste. Mushrooms are a common substitution for seafood and provide a vegetarian adaptation. Chicken can also be used instead of seafood. A spicy chile paste is sometimes added and is said to provide a nice complement to the herbal sourness provided by the other ingredients.

The dish is known by the same name in both Laos and Thailand, but there are small differences between the two versions of the soup. In Laos, a small amount of rice is added to the soup. Another variation is the addition of coconut milk to the broth.

Lemongrass soup is now popular in nearly all countries in Southeast Asia, and Tom Yum paste has been exported worldwide. The paste is made by frying the pulverized ingredients together in oil and jarring or canning the end product. Instead of using the paste, recipes online and in cookbooks encourage home cooks to try their hand at making the dish from scratch.

Not all of the traditional ingredients for this soup can be found in all local grocery stores around the world. In a pinch, the leaves of kaffir limes may be replaced by a small amount of lime juice, and galangal is often replaced by ginger. While a common substitution, replacing galangal with ginger is not the best idea because while they resemble each other, the tastes are quite different.

Many Thai and Laotian restaurants in a variety of countries serve this dish. Lemongrass soup may be served as an appetizer or in larger portions as the main course. Many feel the best type of this soup is made from scratch with fresh ingredients and either shrimp or prawns. Restaurant staff can provide assistance in deciding the proper amount of spiciness to complete the flavor profile.

Share
WiseGeek is dedicated to providing accurate and trustworthy information. We carefully select reputable sources and employ a rigorous fact-checking process to maintain the highest standards. To learn more about our commitment to accuracy, read our editorial process.

Editors' Picks

Discussion Comments
Share
https://www.wisegeek.net/what-is-lemongrass-soup.htm
Copy this link
WiseGeek, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.

WiseGeek, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.