Salmon Belly Tom Yum Soup (Easy Thai Hot and Sour Soup)

Wondering what to do with salmon belly? Turn it into tom yum. Pork and chicken tom yum are everyday classics in Thailand, but fatty fish makes an even better hot and sour soup: the aromatics cut through the richness, and the fish fat gives the broth a silky, creamy body. Salmon belly, with its buttery texture, is perfect here. The key is to season the broth fully before the fish goes in so the salmon barely simmers and stays in tender pieces.

Ingredients

• 500 g (1 lb) salmon belly, cut into pieces
• 1 handful bird's eye chilies, roughly crushed (adjust to taste)
• 1 tom yum herb set: galangal, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, garlic, and shallots (sliced or bruised)
• 5 tablespoons fish sauce
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• Juice of 3 to 4 limes
• 1 instant tom yum soup cube (or 1 to 2 tablespoons tom yum paste)
• About 1 liter (4 cups) water

Instructions

1. Bring the water to a boil. Add the galangal, lemongrass, lime leaves, garlic, shallots, and crushed chilies and simmer until the broth is fragrant.
2. Stir in the tom yum cube or paste for extra depth and a beautiful red color.
3. Season with the fish sauce and soy sauce. Taste and adjust until the broth is well balanced, then add the salmon belly.
4. Simmer gently for 5 to 7 minutes, just until the salmon is cooked through. Cook a little longer if you prefer it well done, but be careful: overcooked salmon belly falls apart.
5. Turn off the heat and add the lime juice. Taste and adjust the sourness and saltiness to your liking. Serve hot with steamed jasmine rice.

Tips

• Season the broth completely before adding the salmon; prolonged heat turns the fish mushy, and stirring too often breaks it up.
• The same broth works with pork, chicken, white fish, shrimp, or squid.
• Other salmon cuts, such as the head, are delicious cooked this way too. Any leftover salmon belly is great stir-fried with Thai basil.