This creamy tom yum udon is hands down the best thing I cooked this week. It’s rich, tangy, comforting, and just indulgent enough, yet it comes together in 15 minutes from start to finish. If you love the bold, sour-spicy depth of tom yum but also crave something cozy and creamy, this bowl hits every note.
What I love most about this recipe is how flexible it is. You can keep it simple for a quick weeknight meal or dress it up with better seafood and extra toppings when you’re feeling fancy. Either way, it delivers that unmistakable tom yum punch, mellowed out by silky coconut cream and wrapped around chewy udon noodles.
🥥 Coconut Cream vs Coconut Milk (Important!)
Before we start, let’s talk coconut.
- Coconut cream is thick, rich, and high in fat. This is what gives the sauce its luxurious, almost velvety texture.
- Coconut milk is much thinner and more watery, often diluted with water.
For this recipe, coconut cream is strongly recommended. It creates a proper creamy tom yum sauce rather than a soupy broth. If you only have coconut milk, the dish will still taste good, but it won’t have the same body or richness. You may need to reduce it longer or use less water to compensate.
🍤 Shrimp Tip (If Using Raw Shrimp)
I used pre-cooked shrimp for convenience, which makes this recipe even faster. However, if you’re using raw shrimp, here’s the best way to do it:
👉 Sauté the shrimp first until about 80% cooked, then remove it from the pan.
After that, proceed with cooking the mushrooms and sauce, and add the shrimp back in at the end. This keeps the shrimp juicy and prevents it from overcooking in the sauce.
Do you recommend a particular brand for the tom yum paste?
I’ve only ever tried one, so I really couldn’t say! Mine is the Maepranom brand, I’ve heard it’s quite famous 🙂