Thai Coconut Chicken Soup – Tom Kha Gai

Name: Thai Coconut Chicken Soup – Tom Kha Gai
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 15 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Thai
Ingredients: 2 cups Chicken thigh meat, boneless and skinless cut into bite-sized pieces; 3/4 cup Coconut milk; 4 cups Straw mushrooms halved; 7 Cherry tomatoes; 2 inch piece Galangal root sliced thin; 2 stalks Lemongrass cut into pieces, lightly smashed; 12 Kaffir lime leaves; 5 Culantro leaves cut into 1-inch pieces; 2 sprigs Coriander/cilantro leaves for garnish; 3 tablespoons Lime juice; 3 teaspoons White cane sugar; 3 teaspoons Salt; 2 cups Water

Tom Kha Gai

Chicken and mushrooms in a light galangal, lemongrass, and coconut broth

Prep: 5 min
Cook: 10 min
Serves: 4
Heat: mild

Tom Kha Gai stands apart from Thailand's other famous soups by skipping chili altogether, leaning instead on galangal, lemongrass, and a generous number of kaffir lime leaves for its unmistakably Thai flavor. This version keeps things lighter than many restaurant bowls by using coconut milk sparingly, just enough to give the chicken an initial rich simmer before the broth gets built out mostly with water, so the herbs and chicken carry the flavor rather than a heavy coconut base. Sour lime and a scattering of culantro added at the very end keep the finished soup tasting bright and fresh rather than one-note rich.

Ingredients

2 cups Chicken thigh meat, boneless and skinless (cut into bite-sized pieces)
3/4 cup Coconut milk
4 cups Straw mushrooms (halved)
7 Cherry tomatoes
2 inch piece Galangal root (sliced thin)
2 stalks Lemongrass (cut into pieces, lightly smashed)
12 Kaffir lime leaves
5 Culantro leaves (cut into 1-inch pieces)
2 sprigs Coriander/cilantro leaves (for garnish)
3 tablespoons Lime juice
3 teaspoons White cane sugar
3 teaspoons Salt
2 cups Water

Directions

Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Clean and halve the mushrooms. Cut the culantro into 1-inch pieces. Slice the galangal thin. Cut the lemongrass into pieces and lightly smash with a mallet or heavy knife to break up the fibers. Measure out the remaining ingredients.
Heat the coconut milk in a small pot. Add the chicken, stir in, and bring to a boil.
Cook the chicken in the coconut milk for about 2 to 3 minutes.
Add the water and bring back to a boil.
Add the galangal, lemongrass, sugar, and salt. Stir well and bring back to a boil.
Add the mushrooms, bring back to a boil, and cook for 2 minutes.
Add the tomatoes, kaffir lime leaves, culantro, and lime juice. Stir well and boil for about 30 seconds.
Serve in bowls with just enough broth to partially cover the ingredients, letting the chicken, tomatoes, and mushrooms show above the surface. Garnish with kaffir lime leaves, culantro, and cilantro. Serve with steamed rice.

Notes

Cook the chicken briefly in the coconut milk alone before adding water — that first step lets the chicken pick up richness directly from the coconut fat before the broth gets diluted.

Substitutions

Regular cilantro can replace culantro if that's not available. More coconut milk can be used for a richer, creamier broth if preferred.