Authentic Tom Kha Gai (Thai Coconut Chicken Soup) Recipe
Authentic Tom Kha Gai is a comforting Thai coconut chicken soup enriched with creamy coconut milk and infused with aromatic ingredients like lemongrass, galangal, and makrut lime leaves. This flavorful and mildly spicy soup offers a perfect balance of savory, sour, and sweet notes, making it a delightful choice for a cozy meal.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Thai
Ingredients
Soup Base
- 2 cups chicken stock, unsalted, preferably homemade
- ½ teaspoon table salt
- 1 ½ cups coconut milk
Chicken
- 1 lb chicken thigh, boneless skinless, cut into 1-inch pieces
Aromatics and Flavorings
- 1 stalk lemongrass, bottom half only, smashed and cut into 2-inch pieces
- 12 thin slices galangal
- 5 makrut lime leaves, twisted to bruise and torn into big chunks
- 1-3 Thai chilies, to taste, smashed until broken or cut into large pieces
Seasonings and Vegetables
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 1 teaspoon finely chopped palm sugar or granulated sugar
- 5.5 oz oyster mushrooms, torn into bite-size pieces
- 2 ½ tablespoons lime juice
Garnish and Serving
- Chopped green onion and/or cilantro, for garnish
- Jasmine rice, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Simmer the chicken: Bring 2 cups chicken stock to a boil in a pot, then add ½ teaspoon of salt and 1 lb of chicken thigh pieces. Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and cook for 15 minutes or until the chicken is fork tender.
- Add aromatics and coconut milk: Pour in 1 ½ cups of coconut milk and add 1 stalk of smashed lemongrass, 12 thin slices of galangal, 5 bruised makrut lime leaves, 1-3 smashed Thai chilies, 5.5 oz oyster mushrooms, 1 tablespoon of fish sauce (about half of the total), and 1 teaspoon of finely chopped palm sugar. Simmer the soup for 5 minutes to allow the flavors to infuse fully.
- Finish the soup: Turn off the heat and stir in 1 ½ tablespoons more fish sauce (to complete 2 tablespoons) and 2 ½ tablespoons of fresh lime juice. Adjust the seasoning to taste if needed. Remove the lemongrass, galangal, and lime leaves from the pot before serving since these are for infusion only and not meant to be eaten.
- Serve: Ladle the hot soup into bowls, garnish with chopped green onions and/or cilantro, and serve with jasmine rice if desired for a complete meal.
Notes
- For a lighter soup, reduce the coconut milk by ½ cup and increase the chicken stock by the same amount.
- If using chicken breast instead of thigh, slice it into ½-inch thick pieces and marinate with 1 tablespoon fish sauce during prep. Skip the simmering of chicken in step 1 and reduce chicken stock to 1 ½ cups, adding it in step 2. Add chicken in step 3 along with mushrooms and cook briefly just until done. Adjust salt at the end.
- Do not eat the lemongrass, galangal, or makrut lime leaves, as they are for flavor infusion. Remove them before serving or inform guests.
