How to Make Gaeng Om (Thai Herbal Curry Soup)

Name: Gaeng Om Recipe
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 60 min
Ingredients: 2 stalks lemongrass, (cut into thin slices ); 1-2 inch piece galangal, (diced ); 2-4 Thai bird’s eye chiles, (deseeded and chopped ); 3-4 small shallots, (chopped); 3-4 garlic cloves, (chopped); 1 quart chicken broth (or pork broth); 1 cup chicken, (raw or pre-cooked); 1 TBSP fish sauce; 4-5 kaffir lime leaves, (ripped); 1 cup squash, (cut into small pieces); 1 cup mushrooms of your choice; 1 cup Napa cabbage; 1 cup green beans; 3-4 stalks green onions, (sliced); Fresh dill, (about 1/2 cup packed); Fresh Thai basil, (about 1/4 cup packed); Fish sauce; Thai basil, (chopped); Green onions, (chopped); Lime juice

Asian Soups

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Gaeng Om, an herbal curry soup from northeastern Thailand, is not your typical Thai curry. It’s not fiery hot. It’s not rich and heavy. And it’s not sweet.

Nor is it made with the red and green Thai curry pastes that require lots of ingredients and a good hour spent pounding everything into a paste in a mortar and pestle. Yes, you can buy little jars or tins of these pastes, but they lack the freshness and taste of a truly homemade curry paste.

And that’s what I love about Gaeng Om. There are only 5 ingredients for the paste – lemongrass, galangal, chiles, shallots, and garlic – so you can make it in a fairly short amount of time.

And it’s absolutely bursting with flavor.

Seriously, doesn’t that look amazing?!

Well, I promise you it tastes even better.

I also love that Gaeng Om is a very healing, broth-based soup. The combination of the paste dissolved in the broth creates a very fragrant, light, yet complex soup. It’s then loaded with veggies and herbs. Personally, I just love the herbal combination of dill, Thai basil, and kaffir lime leaves. Feel free to experiment with other types of herbs and veggies. You could also easily modify this into a vegetarian soup. Or you could use other types of meats in place of chicken.

Finally, this recipe is included in my book, The Thai Soup Secret.

Transform Your Health with Thailand’s #1 Superfood!

Includes 40 restorative recipes for broths, congees, and soups. All gluten and dairy-free!

TAKE A LOOK INSIDE!

My mission was to expose the diverse world of healthy Thai soups to a wider audience. In my travels in Thailand, I found there were tons of broth-based soups, most gluten- and dairy-free, just like Gaeng Om, that are relatively unknown outside Thailand.

And many are ridiculously simple to make, just like this recipe for Gaeng Om.

How to Make Gaeng Om (Thai Herbal Curry Soup)

Gaeng Om Recipe

Gaeng OM is a medicinal herbal curry soup from northeastern Thailand. It’s not a typical Thai curry in that it’s not fiery hot, heavy or sweet!

Course Main Course, Soup

Cuisine Thai

Prep Time 45 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 1 hour

Servings 4 people

Author Craig Fear

Ingredients

For the curry paste:

2 stalks lemongrass, cut into thin slices
1-2 inch piece galangal, diced
2-4 Thai bird’s eye chiles, deseeded and chopped
3-4 small shallots, chopped
3-4 garlic cloves, chopped

For soup:

1 quart chicken broth or pork broth
1 cup chicken, raw or pre-cooked
1 TBSP fish sauce
4-5 kaffir lime leaves, ripped
1 cup squash, cut into small pieces
1 cup mushrooms of your choice
1 cup Napa cabbage
1 cup green beans
3-4 stalks green onions, sliced
Fresh dill, about 1/2 cup packed
Fresh Thai basil, about 1/4 cup packed

Seasonings, to taste

Fish sauce
Thai basil, chopped
Green onions, chopped
Lime juice

Instructions

Using a mortar and pestle or a food processor, pound or blend the lemongrass, galangal, shallots, garlic and chiles into a rough paste.
Bring the chicken broth to a simmer and add in the paste and simmer a few minutes.
Add the fish sauce, kaffir lime leaves, chicken (if raw) squash, mushrooms and green beans and simmer about 5 – 10 minutes until the veggies are tender and chicken is cooked. Add the Napa cabbage and simmer 1-2 minutes until it wilts. If using pre-cooked chicken add it with the Napa cabbage.
Turn off the heat and add the green onions, dill and Thai basil. Stir thoroughly into the soup.
Ladle into individual bowls and add seasonings, to taste. Serve with a side of jasmine rice, optional.

More Thai Soup Recipes to Try

Tom Kha Gai (Thai Coconut Chicken Soup)
Tom Yum Soup Recipe (Hot and Sour Soup)
Thai Congee (Jok)
Thai Basil Pesto Soup with Shrimp
Thai Coconut Carrot Soup
Thai Vegetable Soup (Gaeng Jued)
Thai Chicken Noodle Soup
Thai Beef Noodle Soup
Thai Bouillabaisse
Tom Saap (Thai Pork Ribs Hot and Sour Soup)
Khao Tom Gai (Thai Chicken and Rice Soup)
Kaeng Som (Southern Thai Sour Curry Soup)
Thai Watermelon Mint Soup
Thai Mango Gazpacho

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About the Author

Craig Fear is the creator of Fearless Eating and the author of three books, The 30-Day Heartburn Solution, Fearless Broths and Soups and The Thai Soup Secret. After years helping clients with digestive issues, Craig decided to pursue writing full-time. He intends to write many more books on broths and soups from around the world! Click here to learn more about Craig.