Tom Kha Gai
Coconut chicken soup with galangal
Discover smart recipes
Sign up on Homecooked to cook this recipe as the chef intended, with parallel steps and built-in timers guiding you along the way. Stock your pantry to discover more recipes you can cook with the ingredients you have at home.
Join HomecookedIngredients
- 400 g Chicken thighs
- 2 tin Coconut milk
- 1 Galangal
- 2 Lemongrass
- 6 Kaffir lime leaves
- 150 g Button mushrooms
- 3 tbsp Fish sauce
- 2 Lime
- 600 ml Chicken stock
- 3 tbsp Cilantro (optional)
Method
- Bruise the galangal and lemongrass by smashing them with the flat of a knife to release their aromatics.
- Bring the coconut milk and chicken stock to a gentle simmer in a pot with the galangal, lemongrass, and kaffir lime leaves and let it infuse over low heat.
- While the broth infuses, slice the chicken thighs and halve the mushrooms.
- Add the chicken and mushrooms to the broth and simmer until the chicken is cooked through and no longer pink.
- Take the pot off the heat. Juice the limes, then season with the fish sauce and lime juice to taste.
- Ladle into bowls, finish with the cilantro, and serve.
Nutrition per serving
Estimated from ingredients; varies with exact portions and brands.
About Tom Kha Gai
Tom kha gai is Thailand's coconut chicken soup, a richer and mellower relative of the sharper tom yum. The name points to its two defining elements, coconut milk (kha refers to galangal, gai to chicken), and the result is a broth that's creamy and fragrant rather than searingly hot. Galangal, lemongrass, and kaffir lime leaves perfume the coconut and stock with a distinctly floral, citrusy aromatic backbone that ordinary ginger can't replicate, while fish sauce and a final squeeze of lime bring the salty-sour balance Thai cooking lives by. It drinks like a soothing, slightly tangy cream soup studded with tender chicken thigh and mushrooms.
The heart of the method is the infusion. Bruising the galangal and lemongrass releases their oils, and simmering them gently in the coconut and stock lets those aromatics steep into the base before the chicken and mushrooms go in. Adding the lime and fish sauce off the heat at the very end keeps the citrus bright and the fish sauce from turning harsh. This is a generous batch, enough for a crowd or for leftovers, and it's traditionally ladled over rice or served as part of a shared meal, finished with a scatter of fresh cilantro.
Tom Kha Gai: frequently asked questions
How many calories are in Tom Kha Gai?
One serving of Tom Kha Gai has about 445 calories, with 17g of protein, 13g of carbs, 38g of fat and 3g of fiber. These are estimates based on the ingredient amounts in this recipe and will vary with your exact portions and brands.
Is Tom Kha Gai gluten-free?
Based on its ingredients, Tom Kha Gai has no gluten-containing components, so it's naturally gluten-free — as always, check that any packaged ingredients you use are certified gluten-free to be safe.
How long does Tom Kha Gai take to make?
About 30 minutes start to finish, but only around 18 of those are hands-on — the rest is cooking time. In the Homecooked app the timers and parallel steps are sequenced for you so the hands-on part feels even shorter.
Do I need every ingredient to make Tom Kha Gai?
The core ingredients are essential, but you can leave out cilantro — it's optional and mainly there for extra flavor or finish.
How many servings does Tom Kha Gai make?
This recipe makes 7 servings. In the app you can scale it up or down and the ingredient amounts adjust automatically.