Best Ever Tom Kha Gai (Print Version)

Rich, creamy Thai coconut soup with tender chicken, aromatic herbs, and tangy lime flavors ready in 40 minutes.

# What You'll Need:

→ Chicken & Broth

01 - 14 oz boneless, skinless chicken breast, thinly sliced
02 - 3⅓ cups chicken stock
03 - 1 can (13.5 oz) full-fat coconut milk

→ Aromatics

04 - 2 stalks lemongrass, trimmed and smashed
05 - 4 kaffir lime leaves, torn
06 - 3 slices galangal, or fresh ginger as substitute
07 - 3 Thai bird's eye chilies, crushed
08 - 4 cloves garlic, smashed
09 - 4 small shallots, sliced

→ Vegetables

10 - 7 oz oyster or white mushrooms, sliced
11 - 3.5 oz cherry tomatoes, halved

→ Seasonings

12 - 2½ tablespoons fish sauce
13 - 1½ tablespoons fresh lime juice
14 - 1 teaspoon palm sugar or light brown sugar
15 - ½ teaspoon salt

→ Garnishes

16 - Fresh cilantro leaves
17 - Sliced green onions
18 - Lime wedges
19 - Thinly sliced red chili, optional

# How to Make It:

01 - In a large saucepan, bring chicken stock to a gentle boil. Add lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, galangal, chilies, garlic, and shallots. Simmer for 5 minutes until flavors are fully extracted.
02 - Add sliced chicken breast to the infused broth. Reduce heat to a gentle simmer and cook for 5–7 minutes until chicken is cooked through.
03 - Pour coconut milk into the broth while stirring gently. Add mushrooms and tomatoes. Simmer for 5 minutes without boiling to maintain creamy texture.
04 - Season with fish sauce, lime juice, palm sugar, and salt. Taste and adjust seasonings to achieve desired balance of savory, tangy, and sweet notes.
05 - Remove lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, galangal, and garlic using a slotted spoon before serving, if preferred.
06 - Ladle soup into bowls. Garnish with fresh cilantro, green onions, lime wedges, and optional red chili slices. Serve immediately.

# Additional Tips::

01 -
  • The perfect balance of tangy, spicy, and creamy elements creates a symphony of flavors that somehow tastes even better the next day.
  • Despite its complex flavor profile, this soup is surprisingly forgiving and adapts to whatever ingredients you have on hand, which saved me countless times during busy weeknights.
02 -
  • Never let the soup boil after adding coconut milk or youll end up with a broken, grainy texture instead of that silky smoothness that makes Tom Kha so special.
  • The aromatics are meant to flavor the broth but not necessarily be eaten, so fishing them out before serving saves your guests the awkward moment of biting into a chunk of lemongrass.
03 -
  • If you can find fresh galangal but wont use it often, slice the entire root and freeze the unused portions for future soups, as its much more difficult to find than its cousin ginger.
  • Make double the amount of infused broth and freeze half without the coconut milk or vegetables, giving you a head start on your next batch when the craving hits.
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