When it comes to Thai cuisine, the vibrant flavors and aromatic herbs make it an adventure for the taste buds. While Thailand boasts an array of delightful dishes, one soup stands out as a true embodiment of comfort and flavor: Tom Kha Gai. This milder, creamier counterpart of the famous Tom Yum soup captures the essence of Thai cuisine with its rich coconut broth, aromatic herbs, fragrant spices capturing the 6 senses of taste(sweet, salty, spicy, bitter, sour and umami) It is popular all over Thailand and equally abroad. Today, I’m excited to share my favorite recipe for this beloved Thai coconut chicken soup.
Ingredients Needed
There aren’t that many ingredients for this soup, however some ingredients are necessary and unfortunately no good substitutes. Thankfully with a large Thai diaspora and globally loved Thai dishes most herbs are readily available in almost all Asian supermarkets and conventional grocery stores like Whole Foods, Safeway, Thrive Markets, Sprouts and many more across the U.S.
- Boneless skinless chicken breast or thighs(cooking times may vary depending on the cut used. See FAQs for vegetarian and vegan options.
- Coconut milk use regular for full body and richness
- Lemongrass: fresh is best and easily available in most grocery stores where specialty fresh ingredients are sold.
- Galangal most important ingredient to make this soup, unfortunately there’s no decent substitute. Some people like ginger, but I think ginger lacks the unique flavor of galangal.
- Makrut also called Kaffir lime leaves
- Thai chillies use to your heat tolerance.
- Oyster mushrooms or other Asian mushrooms like shiimiji, miatake, shiitake.
- Fish Sauce : use soy sauce or vegan fish sauce for vegetarian or vegan.
- Coconut sugar or brown sugar
- Cilantro or green onions for garnish
- Fresh lime juice
How to Make Tom Kha Gai
- In a soup pot bring chicken stock to a boil, along with the chicken slices. I like to add the lemongrass and galangal for intense flavor here.
- Simmer the chicken for 10-12 minutes or until tender.
- Add he coconut milk, remaining herbs and simmer for another 5 minutes.
- Add the fish sauce, sugar, chillies and mushroom, bring back to a boil. Simmer the mushrooms for a couple of minutes or so until softened.
- Take the soup off the heat, add the lime juice, garnish with cilantro and/or green onion garnish!
FAQs
Can the soup be made Vegetarian and Vegan?
Absolutely! Replace the chicken with medium soft tofu, a mix of different mushrooms will be very flavorful, rich with umami. I like oyster, shiitake, maitake and shimiji. For added umami a few slices of tomatoes or baby tomatoes will work. Also skip the fish sauce and use soy sauce or vegan fish sauce. And make sure your broth is veggie or plant based.
What can I use instead of galangal?
Galangal is a must for this soup, unfortunately there is no substitute. The good news is it is readily available in most Asian grocery stores, some regular grocery stores and some farmers market. Galangal freezes very well. So you could buy a large piece, slice the root into 1/2 inch thick rounds and place them in freezer proof zip bags. I like to label with the date, they usual last for a few months. To Cook: add a few slices from frozen, and add a few more minutes of cooking time.
Ginger is not a good substitute for galangal. But it can be used knowing that the flavor will be different.
Can the soup be made ahead and frozen?
You sure can! this soup is great to make ahead. It reheats well and freezes well too. Simply make the soup, cool and refrigerate for up to a week. Or freeze in freezer proof container for up to 3 months. Make sure not to add the lime juice when you first cook the soup. It’s best added right before serving along with the garnishes.
Can the herbs be eaten?
The lemongrass, galangal and lime leaves are meant for aromatic infusion and not to be eaten. Push them to the side when you eat the soup.
Tom Kha Gai~ Thai coconut Chicken Soup
Equipment
- Large Soup Pot
Ingredients
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast or thighs thinly sliced
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 2 cups full fat coconut milk, about 15 oz
- 2 sticks lemongrass, bottom 3-4 inches, cut into 3-4 pieces each, and bashed to release some of its flavors
- 2 tbsp fish sauce
- 1 tsp coconut sugar
- 6-8 oz oyster, shiitake or any Asian mushroom
- 3 inch piece galangal, thinly sliced
- 6-8 Markut or Kaffir lime leaves
- 2-3 tbsp lime juice, about 1½ limes
Garnishes
- cooked rice to serve with
- lime juice
- chopped green onions and cilantro
Instructions
- Bring chicken stock to a boil. (if using chicken thighs add it now, if using breast it can be added later)
- Add coconut milk, lemongrass, galangal, makrut lime leaves, chilies, 1 tbsp fish sauce, and coconut sugar. Simmer for 5-7 minutes to infuse. ( don't simmer for long as the flavors of the herbs vaporize)
- Add the mushrooms, (if using chicken breast slices, add now) bring the heat back to a simmer, and cook for 5 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.
- Taste and add more fish sauce as needed. Take it off the heat and add 2 tablespoon of the lime juice, taste and add more as needed.
- Garnish with chopped green onions and/or cilantro.
- Serve over some steamed rice. And some lime wedges on the side.
Notes
- The lemongrass, galangal and lime leaves are meant for infusion only and not meant to be eaten.
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