Description
This Tom Kha Gai recipe is a quick and flavorful Thai coconut chicken soup that balances sour, spicy, sweet, savory, and salty flavors, ready in just 30 minutes. Made with tender chicken thighs, mushrooms, fragrant lemongrass, galangal, makrut lime leaves, and creamy coconut milk, it's perfect as a comforting main course or paired with steamed jasmine rice.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken Mixture
- 12 ounces boneless skinless chicken thighs (or boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into thin strips)
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons neutral oil
- 2 teaspoons fish sauce
Soup
- 1 tablespoon neutral oil
- 8 ounces mushrooms (such as oyster, shiitake, cremini or button mushrooms, torn into pieces or thinly sliced)
- 3 cups chicken stock
- 1 stalk lemongrass (bottom half only, tough outer layers removed and scored in half lengthwise—keep it in one piece)
- 8 slices galangal
- 3 fresh or dried makrut lime leaves (or zest of 1 lime)
- 1-2 Thai chilies (cut in half; optional—omit for a milder soup)
- 1 tablespoon Thai red curry paste (optional)
- 1 tablespoon palm sugar (or light brown sugar)
- 14 ounces coconut milk (14 ounces/400g = 1 can)
- 3 tablespoons lime juice
- 1/4 cup cilantro (or scallions, roughly chopped)
Instructions
- Prepare the Chicken: Combine the sliced chicken with the cornstarch, 2 teaspoons neutral oil, and 2 teaspoons fish sauce. Mix well and set aside to marinate while preparing the soup.
- Cook the Mushrooms: Heat 1 tablespoon of neutral oil in a medium soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and fry them for about 5 minutes until they become tender.
- Add Broth and Aromatics: Pour in the chicken stock and add the lemongrass, galangal, makrut lime leaves or lime zest, Thai chilies, Thai red curry paste (if using), and palm sugar. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling, cover the pot, lower the heat, and let it simmer for 6 minutes to infuse the flavors.
- Add Coconut Milk and Chicken: Stir in the coconut milk and increase heat to bring the soup back to a gentle simmer. Be careful not to let it boil vigorously to avoid splitting the coconut milk. Add the marinated chicken strips to the pot.
- Simmer until Cooked: Allow the soup to simmer over medium-low heat, covered, for 8 minutes until the chicken is fully cooked and tender.
- Finish and Season: Turn off the heat and stir in the remaining fish sauce, lime juice, and fresh cilantro or scallions. Taste and season with salt if needed.
- Serve: Ladle the soup into bowls and serve hot, either on its own or accompanied by steamed jasmine rice.
Notes
- For a milder soup, omit the Thai chilies or reduce the amount used.
- You can substitute chicken thighs with chicken breast if preferred, but thighs provide more tenderness and flavor.
- Galangal can be difficult to find; fresh ginger can be used as a substitute, though the flavor will differ slightly.
- If fresh makrut lime leaves are unavailable, lime zest works as a good alternative.
- To keep the coconut milk from curdling, avoid boiling it vigorously—maintain a gentle simmer.
- Adjust seasoning at the end since fish sauce and lime juice add saltiness and acidity respectively.
- This soup pairs beautifully with steamed jasmine rice for a complete meal.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 387 kcal
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 388 mg
- Fat: 28 g
- Saturated Fat: 20 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0.02 g
- Carbohydrates: 14 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 24 g
- Cholesterol: 81 mg
