Tom Yum Pak
ต้มยำผัก
Tom Yum Pak is a fully vegan version of Thailand's famous hot and sour soup — the aromatic lemongrass-galangal-kaffir lime broth made with vegetable stock and loaded with mushrooms and vegetables instead of seafood.
Cultural Origin
Tom Yum Pak is a vegetable version of tom yum, prepared with mushrooms, tomato, and mixed vegetables in place of shrimp or chicken. It is widely cooked during the Phuket Vegetarian Festival and other Buddhist jay observances, with fish sauce and shrimp paste replaced by soy sauce or salt.
Allergens & Sensitivities
Key Ingredients
- mushrooms
- lemongrass
- kaffir lime leaves
- galangal
- soy sauce
Taste profile
- Salty
- fish sauce, soy, shrimp paste
- Sweet
- palm sugar, coconut
- Sour
- lime, tamarind, fermentation
- Umami
- dried shrimp, fermented pastes, stock
Sharp and aromatic from lemongrass, galangal and kaffir lime leaf, with the mushrooms providing a meaty depth that stands in reasonably well for the seafood in the standard version; the broth stays clear rather than creamy.
How Tom Yum Pak Is Made
- 1
Broth
Vegetable stock is brought to the boil with bruised lemongrass, sliced galangal and torn kaffir lime leaves.
- 2
Aromatics steep
The herbs are simmered briefly to release their oils before anything else goes in.
- 3
Mushrooms and vegetables
Mushrooms, tomato and other vegetables are added and simmered until just tender.
- 4
Seasoning
The broth is seasoned with lime juice, chilli and soy sauce rather than the fish sauce and shrimp paste used in the standard version.
- 5
Finish
A final squeeze of lime and scatter of coriander just before serving, since prolonged boiling dulls the sourness.
When It’s Eaten
Served as a shared soup alongside rice and other dishes rather than eaten alone, common at both casual and vegetarian-focused restaurants.
How to Order It
- ต้มยำผักน้ำใส
- tom yum pak nam sai
- clear-broth vegetable tom yum, not creamy
- ใส่เห็ดเพิ่ม
- sai het phoem
- extra mushrooms, please
What people get wrong
Expecting the same depth as prawn or chicken tom yum — mushrooms add genuine umami but the dish is still noticeably lighter, so judging it against the seafood version misses what it does well on its own terms.
Where to Try It
Vegan restaurants and Jay stalls; also available on request at most Thai restaurants.
Tips
- Straw mushrooms and oyster mushrooms absorb the tom yum broth beautifully — request a mix for the most satisfying bowl.