Authentic Tom Kha Gai (Thai coconut chicken soup)
Comforting Thai chicken soup enriched with coconut milk and infused with lemongrass, galangal and makrut lime leaves.
Ingredients
- 2 cups chicken stock, unsalted, preferably homemade
- 1 ½ cups coconut milk
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, or half the amount of table salt
- 1 lb chicken thigh, boneless skinless, bite-sized pieces (see note 1)
- 1 stalk lemongrass, bottom half only, smashed and cut into 2-inch pieces
- 12 thin slices galangal, (see note 2)
- 5 makrut lime leaves, roughly torn into big chunks, center stems removed
- 3-4 Thai chilies, bruised or cut into large pieces
- 2 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1 teaspoon finely chopped palm sugar, or granulated sugar
- 5.5 oz oyster mushrooms
- 2 ½ tablespoon lime juice
- chopped green onion and/or cilantro, for garnish
- Jasmine rice, for serving
Notes
- If using chicken breast, cut into ½-inch thick slices and marinate in 1 tablespoon of fish sauce while you're prepping. Skip step #1 as chicken breast does not need to be simmered and is best cooked only briefly, and omit the salt. Reduce the chicken stock to 1 ½ cups and add it at step #2. Add the chicken breast to the soup at the end along with the mushrooms in step #3 and cook for a couple of minutes just until the chicken is done. Be sure to taste and adjust the salt at the end!
- The lemongrass, galangal and makrut lime leaves are meant for infusion only and not meant to be eaten. Please inform your guests or remove them before serving.
Instructions
- Bring chicken stock to a boil, then add salt and chicken. Let simmer gently for 15-20 minutes or until chicken is fork tender.2 cups chicken stock, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1 lb chicken thigh, boneless skinless
- Add coconut milk, lemongrass, galangal, makrut lime leaves, chilies, about half of the fish sauce, and sugar. Simmer for 5 minutes to infuse.1 ½ cups coconut milk, 1 stalk lemongrass, 12 thin slices galangal, 5 makrut lime leaves, 3-4 Thai chilies, 2 tablespoon fish sauce, 1 teaspoon finely chopped palm sugar, or granulated sugar
- Add the mushrooms, bring back to a simmer, and cook for 1-2 minutes or until cooked through.5.5 oz oyster mushrooms
- Taste and add more fish sauce as needed. Turn off the heat and add 2 tablespoon of the lime juice, then taste and add more as needed. Top with green onions and/or cilantro.2 ½ tablespoon lime juice, chopped green onion and/or cilantro, for garnish
- Serve with jasmine rice as part of a larger Thai meal, or you can put rice in the soup and enjoy on its own. (Note: the herbs are for infusion only and are not meant to be eaten. Either remove them before serving or inform your guests.)Jasmine rice, for serving
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