Kuai Tiao Nam Tom Yum
This clear Thai noodle soup is bright, citrusy, and deeply fragrant despite its short cooking time. Tender rice noodles, bok choy, and mushrooms soak up a lemongrass-galangal broth that tastes clean, lively, and refreshing.
Ingredients
Nam soup base
- 1 litrewater
- 2 stalks (about 40 g)lemongrass, tough outer layers removed and stalk bruised, cut into 5 cm pieces
- 20 ggalangal, thinly sliced
- 4 leaveskaffir lime leaves, torn
- 2 tbspfish sauce
- 2 tbsplime juice
- 1 tspsugar
Noodles and vegetables
- 120 gdried rice noodles
- 150 gbok choy, trimmed and halved lengthwise
- 120 gshiitake or oyster mushrooms, sliced
- 2spring onions, thinly sliced
- 10 gfresh coriander leaves
To finish
- 1 smallred chilli, thinly sliced
- 2 wedgeslime wedges
Instructions
- 1
Bring a kettle or small pot of water to a boil for the noodles. At the same time, put the water, lemongrass, galangal, kaffir lime leaves, fish sauce, sugar, and half of the lime juice into a saucepan. Bring to a brisk boil over high heat, then reduce to a lively simmer for 5 minutes so the broth extracts the aromatics quickly.
- 2
While the broth simmers, soak or blanch the dried rice noodles in the boiling water according to packet timing until just tender. Drain well; they should still have a little bite because they will soften further in the hot soup.
- 3
Add the mushrooms to the simmering broth and cook for 2 minutes. Add the bok choy and cook for 1-2 minutes more, just until the stems are crisp-tender and the leaves wilt. Taste the broth and balance it with the remaining lime juice if you want it brighter.
- 4
Divide the drained noodles between 2 bowls. Ladle over the hot broth and vegetables, leaving the lemongrass and galangal in the pot if you prefer easier eating, or adding them for extra aroma.
- 5
Finish with spring onions, coriander, sliced chilli, and lime wedges. Serve immediately while steaming hot.
Nutrition per serving
Notes
- •For the fastest beginner-friendly version, use thin rice noodles that soften in 3-4 minutes.
- •Bruising the lemongrass with the back of a knife helps release flavour quickly in a short-cooked broth.
- •If kaffir lime leaves are very large, remove the central stem before tearing them.
- •For a slightly richer but still light bowl, add 100 g peeled cooked shrimp at the end; this will change the nutrition and allergens.
Background
Light aromatic noodle soups are common across Thailand, where rice noodles are paired with clear broths and bright herbal flavours. This version draws on the classic Thai balance of salty, sour, and fragrant notes from fish sauce, lime, lemongrass, galangal, and kaffir lime leaf, adapted into a quick home-style bowl.
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