Tom Kha Gai: Thai Coconut Chicken Soup

Introduction

Tom kha gai is my favorite way to argue that Thai food is one of the world's great comfort cuisines. The broth is coconut milk infused with galangal (like ginger's spicier cousin), lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves and a hit of chili. Poached chicken and mushrooms round it out, and lime juice added at the end pulls the whole thing into balance. It comes together in half an hour and tastes like it took much longer. Serve alongside a plate of fragrant Thai green curry for a stunning at-home Thai dinner.

Cooking your way through our archive? Don't miss our Fragrant Thai Green Curry with Chicken or our 20-Minute Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry, and browse every soup recipe for more ideas.

Ingredients

• •600 ml full-fat coconut milk (about 1 1/2 cans)
• •500 ml chicken stock
• •1 stalk lemongrass, tough outer layers removed, bruised and cut into 5 cm pieces
• •5 slices fresh galangal (or ginger)
• •5 kaffir lime leaves, torn (or zest of 1 lime)
• •400 g boneless skinless chicken thighs, sliced thin
• •200 g cremini or oyster mushrooms, sliced
• •2 tbsp fish sauce, plus more to taste
• •2 tsp palm sugar or brown sugar
• •3 tbsp fresh lime juice, plus more to taste
• •1–2 Thai bird's eye chilies, lightly bruised (optional, for heat)
• •Cilantro leaves, to serve
• •Sliced red chili, to serve

Instructions

1. 1

   In a medium pot, combine the coconut milk, chicken stock, lemongrass, galangal, and kaffir lime leaves. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 10 minutes to infuse.

2. 2

   Add the sliced chicken and mushrooms. Simmer gently for 8–10 minutes until the chicken is just cooked through.

3. 3

   Stir in the fish sauce and sugar. Turn off the heat.

4. 4

   Add the lime juice and chilies (if using). Taste and adjust — it should be creamy, salty, sour and just a touch sweet, in that order.

5. 5

   Ladle into bowls, leaving the aromatics behind (they're for flavor, not eating). Top with cilantro and sliced red chili.

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

Nutrition is an approximation generated from ingredient databases and may vary based on brands and exact measurements.

Calories

430 kcal

Protein

26 g

Carbs

8 g

Fat

34 g