Tom Kha Gai Coconut Chicken Soup
Tom kha gai is tom yum’s gentler, creamier cousin, and galangal is the star — it gives the soup its name. We poach the chicken straight in coconut milk with the aromatics, so the broth turns rich without any stock at all. As with tom yum, the sour-salty balance goes in off the heat, with fish sauce and lime.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 30 min
- Total
- 50 min
- Servings
- 4
- Level
- Easy
- Per serving
- 485 kcal
Ingredients
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What to use instead
Without galangal it isn’t quite tom kha, but at a push use 25 g fresh ginger. Galangal freezes perfectly, so stock up when you find it.
Makes: 4 servings
Shopping list
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Method
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Step 1: Prep the aromatics
Slice the galangal thinly. Trim the lemongrass, bruise the stalks and cut into 4 cm lengths. Tear the lime leaves, lightly crush the chillies and halve the shallots.
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Step 2: Infuse the base
Put half the coconut milk, the water, galangal, lemongrass, lime leaves, chillies and shallots in a pan. Bring to a bare simmer and keep it there for 10 minutes — a hard boil can split the coconut milk.
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Step 3: Slice the chicken
Meanwhile, slice the chicken into 5 mm pieces and tear the oyster mushrooms into strips.
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Step 4: Poach the chicken
Add the chicken and simmer gently for 8–10 minutes until white all the way through and at 74°C (165°F).
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Step 5: Add the mushrooms
Add the mushrooms and the rest of the coconut milk and heat for 3 minutes without letting it boil hard.
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Step 6: Season off the heat
Take off the heat and stir in the fish sauce, sugar and lime juice. Taste — it should be creamy, tangy and a little salty. Serve topped with coriander leaves.
Tips & variations
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Swap
Without galangal it isn’t quite tom kha, but at a push use 25 g fresh ginger. Galangal freezes perfectly, so stock up when you find it.
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Tip
Choose full-fat coconut milk without thickeners — ‘light’ versions make a thin, watery soup.
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Variation
For a vegetarian version, replace the chicken with tofu or extra mushrooms and the fish sauce with soy sauce.
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Storage
Keeps in the fridge for up to 3 days. The coconut fat will set on top and melts back in as you reheat gently.
Nutrition
| 1 serving | Whole dish 4 servings | |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 485 kcal | 1,940 kcal |
| Protein | 29 g | 116 g |
| Fat | 36 g | 144 g |
| Carbohydrates | 11 g | 44 g |
Approximate values calculated from standard ingredient data.
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