Description
Tom Kha Gai Soup is a fragrant, creamy Thai soup made with coconut milk, tender chicken, and a balance of savory, sour, and spicy flavors. The combination of lemongrass, galangal, kaffir lime leaves, and chili creates a refreshing and aromatic broth that’s both soothing and vibrant.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 lb chicken breast or thighs, thinly sliced
- 4 cups coconut milk
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 3 stalks lemongrass, smashed and cut into 3-inch pieces
- 3–4 kaffir lime leaves, torn into pieces
- 1–2 Thai bird’s eye chilies, smashed (adjust for spice level)
- 1 inch piece of galangal or ginger, sliced
- 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
- 1 cup mushrooms, sliced (shiitake or button mushrooms work well)
- 1–2 tbsp fish sauce (to taste)
- 1–2 tbsp lime juice (to taste)
- 1 tbsp palm sugar or brown sugar
- Fresh cilantro leaves, for garnish
- Optional: Thai chili paste (Nam Prik Pao) for extra flavor
Instructions
- In a large pot, combine the coconut milk and chicken broth. Bring to a simmer over medium heat.
- Add the lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, bird’s eye chilies, galangal, and onion. Let the broth simmer for about 10-15 minutes to allow the flavors to infuse.
- Stir in the chicken slices and cook until the chicken is cooked through, about 5-7 minutes.
- Add the mushrooms, fish sauce, lime juice, and sugar. Continue to simmer for another 5 minutes to allow the mushrooms to soften and the flavors to meld.
- Adjust the seasoning with more fish sauce or lime juice if needed to balance the flavors (more fish sauce for saltiness, more lime juice for sourness).
- Remove from heat and discard the lemongrass, galangal, and lime leaves.
- Serve the soup hot, garnished with fresh cilantro leaves.
Notes
- If you can’t find galangal, ginger can be used as a substitute, although the flavor will be slightly different.
- For extra heat, you can add Thai chili paste (Nam Prik Pao) along with the fish sauce for a deeper, richer flavor.
- This soup is naturally gluten-free but check the fish sauce label to ensure it’s gluten-free if necessary.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Thai
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl
- Calories: 250
- Sugar: 5g
- Sodium: 800mg
- Fat: 18g
- Saturated Fat: 14g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 10g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 15g
- Cholesterol: 55mg
Keywords: Tom Kha Gai, Thai soup, coconut soup, chicken soup, spicy soup, Thai cuisine