Tom Yum (Veg)

About this recipe

Tom yum is less a soup than an argument between sour, hot and salty that you keep tasting until it's balanced. The aromatics — lemongrass, galangal, kaffir lime — are there to be bruised and steeped, then fished out; you smell them, you don't eat them. We keep ours vegetarian with a clean vegetable stock and let mushrooms carry the body, adding depth without being heavy. The lime juice goes in off the heat at the very end, because boiling it turns the brightness bitter and defeats the purpose. Tom yum works on layers of flavour rather than complexity. The lemongrass brings citrus, the galangal brings warm spice, the lime brings acid, the chilli brings heat. On their own they're separate; together they create something greater than the sum of their parts. Mushrooms absorb the flavours and add umami depth, while the cherry tomatoes burst slightly during cooking, adding a sweetness that balances the sourness. The technique is minimal: simmer the aromatics in stock to release their flavours, add vegetables, then season with heat and acid off the heat. This preserves the brightness of the lime and the herbaceous quality of the mint and coriander. Many cooks overcomplicate tom yum; the magic is in the restraint and the balance of flavours. Serve as a starter or a light main course, ideally with jasmine rice on the side. Tom yum is naturally vegan, low-calorie, and genuinely warming. It's quick to make and keeps for two days, though the lime juice should be added fresh each time you reheat it to maintain the brightness. This is the kind of soup that clears your sinuses and lifts your spirits.