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Tom Kha Gai Soup (Thai Coconut Soup)

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
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Tom Kha Gai Soup (Thai Coconut Soup)

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Tom kha gai (thai coconut chicken soup) is probably one of my favorite soups of all time. It’s the perfect blend of all the things I like: spice, creaminess, tart acid, savory flavor, and texture. If you haven’t ever tried tom kha gai soup before, I know you’ll fall in love with it!

tom kha gai

What is Tom Kha Gai soup?

Tom kha gai soup is a traditional soup in Thai cooking. It is considered a ‘hot and sour’ soup (mostly from the fresh lime juice) with a base of broth and coconut milk. You will usually find a mixture of chicken and mushrooms in the soup, but also shrimp at times.

The broth is also flavored with rich aromatics like lemongrass, galangal (similar to ginger), kaffir lime leaves, shallots, fish sauce, fresh lime juice, coconut milk, cilantro, and sometimes Thai chilies.

What makes this soup so good?

The important part to making this soup so, so good is to use the right ingredients! Homemade chicken stock is a must, and if you need a recipe, here’s a quick and easy recipe for chicken stock made in the instant pot!

This means you’ll need to head to your local Asian market or well-stocked grocery store for the remaining ingredients! Substitutions can make a good soup, but to really make this soup the best it can be you will need the intended ingredients!

Tom Kha Gai

What’s the difference between Tom Kha and Tom Yum soup?

While I love both of these soups, Tom Kha Gai is definitely my favorite. They are similarly aromatic, but Tom Yum is broth based and quite spicy! Tom Kha Gai is a little milder and I absolutely love the creaminess that the coconut milk adds.

Both are delicious in their own right, you should give each one a try! Both are perfect soups for cold weather and if you’re feeling a cold coming on!

Tools Needed to make Tom Kha Gai Soup

Ingredients in Tom Kha Gai Soup

Here is a list of the notable ingredients in this soup, plus a brief description and a link (if possible) of where to buy them! Just click the title of each ingredient.

  • Coconut Milk: Coconut milk is made by extracting the liquid from the grated meat of mature coconuts. My favorite brands are Aroy-D and Chaokoh coconut milk. You can find them at any Asian market, as well as Whole Foods, Sprouts, some well-stocked HEBs (if you’re in Texas), and Amazon. I don’t recommend that you use refrigerated coconut milk that is meant to be a milk replacement; instead, look for the canned, full-fat coconut milk in the Asian aisle at your local grocery store.
  • Galangal: Galangal is similar to ginger, but it has thinner skin, and a richer, spicier flavor. You will find this in the fresh produce section of your local Asian market. You can substitute fresh ginger in a pinch, if necessary.
  • Lemongrass: Lemongrass is a super fragrant aromatic that comes in the form of a large stalk. You can also find this in the fresh produce section of your local Asian market, whole foods, or some well-stocked grocery stores. I tend to buy a lot when I find it and freeze it for later use.
  • Kaffir Lime leaves: These are leaves from the kaffir lime tree and they have a spicy, and fragrant lime flavor. I tend to find them in the fresh produce section of your local Asian market or well-stocked grocery store. I also buy these in bulk and freeze them when I find them.
  • Fish Sauce: Fish sauce is made from fish or krill that have been coated in salt and fermented for 2 years. I love the salty/umami flavor that fish sauce adds to this dish without tasting “fishy”. I have found fish at most well-stocked grocery stores including Trader Joe’s, HEB, Whole Foods, Sprouts, etc.
  • Red Curry Paste: This is a paste made of red chilies, dried shrimp (it doesn’t taste fishy!), lemongrass, galangal, kaffir limes, garlic, etc. It’s so flavorful and adds tons to curries, soups, and marinades. My favorite brand is Mae Ploy!
  • Palm Sugar: Palm sugar is a natural sweetener derived from varieties of palm trees. I love the subtle sweetness it adds to the soup. You can find it at most Asian markets or on amazon. The closest substitute would be coconut sugar, and brown sugar would work in a pinch.

How to prepare Tom Kha Gai soup

I start with a dutch oven or pot that can hold at least 4 quarts. First, heat up a bit of neutral oil in the pot and add sliced shallots, chopped lemongrass, and the sliced galangal over medium-low heat. Then, sauté the aromatics for a couple of minutes until the shallot is a little softened. Then, add the curry paste to the pot and cook it for a couple of minutes, stirring often. Next, add the kaffir lime leaves and the chicken broth and bring it to a simmer for 20 minutes.

Once the broth has reduced a little, use a slotted spoon to fish out the galangal, lemongrass and lime leaves. At this point, I add the chicken, fish sauce, palm sugar, and coconut milk and simmer until the chicken is cooked through.

Then, I add the mushrooms and shrimp, season the soup with salt, add fresh lime juice and cilantro, and it’s ready to go! I always add a little chili oil to the soup to make it spicy, but it’s totally up to you!

More Thai-Inspired Recipes to Try

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Soups

Tom Kha Gai Soup

Tom Kha Gai soup is my favorite thai soup ever! It's creamy, spicy, and loaded with chicken and shrimp.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Makes: 6 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon neutral oil
  • 2 shallots peeled and thinly sliced
  • 2 " galangal root sliced
  • 1 lemongrass stalk chopped
  • 5 large kaffir lime leaves
  • 1 rounded tablespoon red curry paste
  • 7 cups chicken stock homemade is best
  • 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts thinly sliced
  • 2 1/2 cups full-fat coconut milk
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons fish sauce
  • 2 oz palm sugar coconut sugar, or brown sugar
  • 8 oz cremini mushrooms quartered
  • 3/4 lb raw medium shrimp peeled, tails removed, and deveined (optional)
  • 1/3 cup heavy cream optional
  • fresh lime juice
  • salt to taste
  • chopped cilantro
  • chili oil optional

Instructions

  • In a 4 quart heavy bottomed pot, add the oil and turn the heat to medium. Once the oil is warm, add the shallots, lemongrass, and galangal, and cook for 2- 3 minutes, until the shallots start to soften. Add the kaffir lime leaves and curry paste and cook for 2 minutes, until the curry paste is fragrant. Add the chicken broth and bring to a simmer for 20 minutes.
  • Once the chicken broth has reduced by a bit, use a slotted spoon to remove the galangal, lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves. Add the chicken, coconut milk, heavy cream, palm sugar, and fish sauce and bring to a gentle simmer.
  • After about 20 minutes, the chicken should be cooked through. At this stage, the mushrooms can be added directly to the soup but I actually like to sauté them in a cast iron with a little oil first to brown them, it's entirely up to you! If you're using shrimp, add them in with the mushrooms and simmer for another 4-5 minutes. Season the soup to taste with salt and lime juice (I personally like lots of lime juice).
  • Ladle the soup into bowls, topped with chopped cilantro and chili oil, if desired.

Notes

This soup doesn't normally have shrimp in it, but I like to add it for extra protein and flavor.

See the above notes on where to source ingredients!

I like to add heavy cream to the soup for extra creaminess. This is how I did it back in my restaurant days. This is not traditionally and it's totally optional.

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  1. My favorite! I want to serve it chilled as a a summer soup in my vichyssoise bowls. Would anything prohibit this? I have had it chilled when I ordered delivery and was no longer in the mood when it arrived. Stuck it in the fridge and it was great cold the next day. Just don’t want to do all the work to be disappointed.

    • Love this! The soup may be a little thicker cold, but otherwise there would be no issue making the recipe as directed and serving it cold. Happy cooking!

  2. Can you recommend a good Chili Oil? I’m trying to make this soup for the first time and I would like to get a good oil.
    Tks

    • Hi CJ!

      I always make my own chili oil, but my favorite for purchasing is either Lee Kum Kee brand (sold at most Asian grocery stores) or Blank Slate (found at Whole Foods). You can also find chili oil on Amazon. Hope that helps!

  3. I’ve been eating less meat lately, and am wondering if you’ve ever added tofu instead of the chicken and shrimp? And if I can’t get the lime leaves, should I just add some lime juice at the end? I do a different soup every Sunday, and I am really looking forward to making this.

    • Yes! You could definitely add tofu. If you aren’t able to find the lime leaves, I would add some lime peel to the soup to simmer (remove before eating), and then lime juice at the end to taste. Hope that helps!

  4. 5 stars
    This is by far is my new favorite soup! The perfect balance of sweet and spicy! I added white fish and topped with cilantro, sliced green onions and a drizzle of hot sesame oil. I think I might add sliced carrots next time just for fun, but this is perfect just the way it is too! Thank you so much!

  5. 5 stars
    Just finished making it and it was amazing! Substituted a few things and still came out delicious! Thank you for the recipe!

  6. 5 stars
    This was so absolutely amazing! First time making this at home and just wow! I froze the lime leaves and lemongrass to use for next time since I made a special trip to buy.Hopefully can use again.:) Thanks so much for all your great recipes Jenny!

  7. Thank you for this recipe. This is one of my favorite soups to order eating out and can’t wait to try it at home.

    Is this a soup that can be frozen into individual servings for quick meals, or do you recommend only enjoying it fresh?

    • I hope you love making it, it’s honestly my favorite too!

      As for freezing, I have never personally tried it. It may turn the coconut milk a little funky when it defrosts. That being said, it will last in the fridge for at least 7 days!

  8. 5 stars
    I can’t wait to make this! It’s so much easier than I imagined, and I am so thankful you’ve broken down all of the ingredients for me. You da best!