Tom Kha Gai — Thai coconut chicken soup
Silky Thai coconut soup with tender chicken, lemongrass, galangal and chestnut mushrooms — bright lime and fish sauce lift the creamy broth.
Tom Kha Gai is Thailand’s silky coconut chicken soup: creamy, bright and fragranced with lemongrass and galangal. It’s a brilliant midweek treat when you want something comforting but not heavy. This recipe focuses on clear, simple technique so the coconut doesn’t split and the aromatics shine — perfect for cooks who like flavour without faff.
Ingredients
- 400 g boneless skinless chicken thighs — sliced into 1–1.5cm strips
- 400 ml coconut milk — full fat for best texture
- 400 ml chicken stock — low-salt if possible
- 20 g galangal — sliced into 2–3mm rounds
- 2 lemongrass stalks — trimmed and bruised with the back of a knife
- 4 kaffir lime leaves — torn to release the oils
- 2 shallot — thinly sliced
- 200 g chestnut mushrooms — halved or quartered if large
- 150 g cherry tomatoes — halved
- 1 fresh red chilli — thinly sliced, seeds optional
- 15 g coriander — roughly chopped, to garnish
- 30 ml fish sauce — adjust to taste
- 15 g light brown sugar — or palm sugar
- 30 ml lime juice — juice of about 2 limes
- 15 ml vegetable oil — neutral oil
- 5 ml sea salt — or to taste
Instructions
Prepare everything first: slice the chicken into 1–1.5cm strips, thinly slice the shallots, slice the galangal, halve the cherry tomatoes and mushrooms, thinly slice the chilli, bruise the lemongrass stalks and tear the kaffir lime leaves. Roughly chop the coriander and measure the liquids.
Warm a medium saucepan over medium heat, add the vegetable oil and fry the shallot and galangal for 1–2 minutes until fragrant and just softened.
Pour in the chicken stock and coconut milk, add the bruised lemongrass stalks and torn kaffir lime leaves. Bring to a gentle simmer, then reduce the heat and simmer gently for 10 minutes to infuse flavours.
Add the sliced chicken, chestnut mushrooms and cherry tomatoes to the simmering broth. Simmer gently for 6–8 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and tender.
Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the fish sauce, light brown sugar, lime juice and sliced fresh red chilli. Leave to rest off the heat for 2 minutes so the sharp flavours mellow and the chilli infuses.
Taste and adjust seasoning with sea salt if needed. Ladle into bowls and scatter over the chopped coriander. Serve immediately.
Tips
- If you can, use full-fat coconut milk — it gives the soup its silkiness. Gently simmer rather than boil to stop it splitting.
- Bruise the lemongrass and tear the kaffir lime leaves to release maximum flavour — cut them out before serving if you prefer not to eat the fibrous pieces.
- Slice the chicken uniformly so it cooks in the same short time; thigh meat tolerates brief simmering better than breast.
- Make ahead: keep the broth and cooked chicken separate in the fridge for up to 2 days and reheat gently to avoid overcooking.
- Leftovers freeze well. Defrost overnight in the fridge and reheat slowly on a low heat, adding a splash of stock if it thickens.
Substitutions
boneless skinless chicken thighs → chicken breast, same weight (will be leaner and cook faster)
Noticeably differentfish sauce → tamari or light soy sauce, 30 ml (gives saltiness but lacks the anchovy depth)
Stays closegalangal → fresh ginger, same weight (ginger is spicier and less citrusy)
Noticeably different
Nutrition
Per serving · estimated
- 420
- Calories
- 22 g
- Protein
- 8 g
- Carbs
- 33 g
- Fat
- 3 g
- Fibre
- 6 g
- Sugar
- 900 mg
- Sodium
FAQ
Can I make this soup vegetarian?
Yes — replace the chicken with firm tofu or king oyster mushrooms, use vegetable stock and swap fish sauce for tamari or a mushroom soy. The flavour will be different but still delicious.
Why did my coconut milk split and go grainy?
That happens when coconut milk is boiled vigorously or cooked too long. Keep the soup at a gentle simmer and avoid boiling after adding the coconut milk.
Can I use dried lemongrass or powdered galangal?
Fresh aromatics give the best, brightest result, but dried lemongrass and powdered galangal will work in a pinch — increase quantity slightly and taste as you go.
How do I adjust the heat and acidity?
Add sliced chilli for heat and extra lime juice for acidity. Balance with a pinch more sugar if it becomes too sharp.
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