Description
Tom kha gai is the Thai coconut chicken soup that is aromatic, creamy, sour, and spicy all in one bowl. Chicken simmered in coconut milk with galangal, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, and mushrooms, finished with a jolt of lime juice and fish sauce. It is gentler than tom yum but no less complex, and it is the soup everyone craves when they are under the weather.
Ingredients
Units
- 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced thin
- 2 cans (14 ounces each) full-fat coconut milk
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 3 stalks lemongrass, cut into 2-inch pieces and smashed
- 6 slices galangal (or fresh ginger)
- 5 kaffir lime leaves, torn
- 8 ounces mushrooms (straw, oyster, or cremini), sliced
- 3 Thai bird chiles, smashed
- 3 tablespoons fish sauce
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- Fresh cilantro
- Thai chili oil for drizzling
Instructions
- Bring the coconut milk and broth to a gentle simmer in a pot. Add the lemongrass, galangal, and kaffir lime leaves. Simmer 10 minutes to infuse.
- Add the chicken and mushrooms. Cook 8 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.
- Remove from heat. Stir in the fish sauce, lime juice, sugar, and smashed chiles.
- Ladle into bowls, leaving the lemongrass and galangal behind (they are not meant to be eaten). Top with cilantro and chili oil.
Notes
- Galangal looks like ginger but is sharper, more citrusy and pine-like. Fresh ginger is a workable substitute, though the flavor will be different.
- Add the lime juice off the heat. Boiling it dulls the bright acidity this soup depends on.
- The lemongrass, galangal and kaffir lime leaves flavor the broth but are not eaten. Leave them in the pot when you ladle, or fish them out of the bowl.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Cuisine: Thai
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 380
- Sugar: 6
- Sodium: 780
- Fat: 26
- Carbohydrates: 10
- Fiber: 1
- Protein: 28
- Cholesterol: 65