Description
Tom Kha Gai is a classic Thai coconut chicken soup known for its perfect balance of sour, spicy, sweet, savory, and salty flavors. This recipe delivers an authentic taste in just 30 minutes using simple ingredients like chicken thighs, coconut milk, lemongrass, galangal, and kaffir lime leaves.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken Marinade
- 12 ounces boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into thin strips
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons neutral oil
- 2 teaspoons fish sauce
Soup Base
- 1 tablespoon neutral oil
- 8 ounces mushrooms (oyster, shiitake, cremini or button), torn into pieces or thinly sliced
- 3 cups chicken stock
- 1 stalk lemongrass (bottom half only, tough outer layers removed and scored lengthwise, keep whole)
- 8 slices galangal
- 3 fresh or dried makrut lime leaves or zest of 1 lime
- 1-2 Thai chilies, cut in half (optional)
- 1 tablespoon Thai red curry paste (optional)
- 1 tablespoon palm sugar or light brown sugar
- 14 ounces coconut milk (1 can)
Finishing Touches
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 3 tablespoons lime juice
- 1/4 cup cilantro or scallions, roughly chopped
Instructions
- Marinate Chicken: Combine the sliced chicken with cornstarch, 2 teaspoons neutral oil, and 2 teaspoons fish sauce in a bowl. Mix well and set aside to let the chicken absorb the flavors.
- Cook Mushrooms: Heat 1 tablespoon of neutral oil in a medium soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and fry for about 5 minutes until tender and fragrant.
- Prepare Soup Base: Add the chicken stock, lemongrass, galangal, kaffir lime leaves or lime zest, Thai chilies (if using), Thai red curry paste (if using), and palm sugar to the pot. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, then cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 6 minutes to infuse flavors.
- Add Coconut Milk and Chicken: Stir in the coconut milk and gently bring back to a simmer over medium-high heat without boiling to prevent splitting. Add the marinated chicken strips, bring back to a simmer, lower the heat to medium-low, cover, and cook for 8 minutes until the chicken is fully cooked.
- Finish and Serve: Turn off the heat. Stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons fish sauce, lime juice, and fresh cilantro or scallions. Taste and season with salt if necessary. Ladle the soup into bowls and serve hot, optionally accompanied by steamed jasmine rice.
Notes
- For a milder soup, omit the Thai chilies.
- Use chicken thighs for juicier texture, but chicken breast can be substituted.
- Control the simmer carefully when adding coconut milk to avoid curdling.
- Fresh makrut lime leaves and galangal give the best authentic flavor but dried or powdered can be used if unavailable.
- Serve with steamed jasmine rice to balance the flavors and make it 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
