Coconut Prawn Soup (Tom Kha Goong)

Sweet prawns in a fragrant coconut broth built on prawn-shell stock, cherry tomatoes and a spoonful of chilli oil.

TIME BREAKDOWN
Prep: 20 min
Cook: 25 min
Total: 45 minutes
Vegetarian
❌
Nuts
❌
Serves
4 people
Difficulty
Easy

Ingredients

  • 400g raw shell-on king prawns
  • 1 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 500ml water
  • 400ml tin full-fat coconut milk
  • 5cm fresh galangal, thinly sliced
  • 3 lemongrass stalks, bruised and cut into 5cm lengths
  • 6 kaffir lime leaves, torn
  • 150g oyster or button mushrooms, torn
  • 10 cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 3 bird's eye chillies, lightly bruised
  • 2 tbsp fish sauce
  • 2 tsp palm sugar or light brown soft sugar
  • 3 tbsp lime juice
  • 1 tbsp Thai roasted chilli paste (nam prik pao)
  • small handful fresh coriander leaves

Method

  1. Peel the prawns, leaving the tails on. Devein and chill them. Keep the heads and shells.

  2. Heat the oil in a saucepan and fry the shells and heads for 3 minutes until orange. Add the water, bring to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Strain, discarding the shells, and return the stock to the pan.

  3. Add the coconut milk, galangal, lemongrass and lime leaves. Simmer gently for 6 minutes.

  4. Add the mushrooms, tomatoes and chillies and cook for 3 minutes.

  5. Add the prawns and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until pink. Season with the fish sauce and palm sugar, then take off the heat and stir in the lime juice.

  6. Ladle into bowls and swirl a little chilli paste on top of each. Scatter with coriander. The lemongrass, galangal and lime leaves are not eaten.