This Tom Kha Gai Soup is my favourite thing to order from our local Thai takeaway. Rich and creamy yet tangy and salty, this Thai coconut chicken soup recipe is filling but light and positively bursting with flavor. It can be served as a main course or appetizer, with or without rice, reheats beautifully and is belongs on your table today!
If you haven’t ever tried tom kha gai soup before, I know you’ll fall in love with it! This quick and easy recipe makes a satisfying, clean and delicious meal.
Prep Time
15 minutes
Cook Time
45 minutes
Total Time
1 hour
Ingredients
-
1 tablespoon coconut oil
-
half of one onion thinly sliced
-
2 cloves garlic chopped
-
half of one red jalapeno pepper sliced; or 1-3 Thai chiles, halved
-
3 ¼-inch slices galangal or ginger
-
1 lemongrass stalk pounded with the side of a knife and cut into 2-inch long pieces
-
2 teaspoons red Thai curry paste
-
4 cups chicken broth see Notes if vegan or on Whole30
-
4 cups canned full-fat coconut cream unsweetened, or full-fat unsweetened coconut milk; see Notes
-
2 medium chicken breasts cut into bite-sized pieces, see Notes for vegan/vegetarian or to use shrimp
-
8 ounces white mushroom caps sliced
-
1-2 tablespoons coconut sugar see Notes for Whole30 option
-
1 ½ – 2 tablespoons fish sauce plus more to taste, see Notes if on Whole30 or vegan
-
2-3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
-
2-3 green onions sliced thin
-
fresh cilantro chopped, for garnish
Notes
- Be sure to use coconut cream or coconut milk. Coco lopez and coconut creamer are not the same as coconut cream/coconut milk and will not work in this recipe.
- To use shrimp, simply stir in 1 pound of raw shrimp instead of chicken. Simmer until just cooked through, pink, and no longer translucent.
- Make it Whole30: Use compliant chicken broth. Use 2 tablespoons coconut aminos instead of coconut sugar. Use Red Boat fish sauce – this is the only fish sauce I’ve found to be compliant.
- Make it Vegan/Vegetarian: Use vegetable stock, preferably an Asian variety. Use a 1-pound block of firm or extra firm tofu (regular or silken) cut into bite-sized cubes. For vegan, use soy sauce (to taste) instead of fish sauce.
Let us know if you liked this recipe. Try the other recipe categories as well!
Skip to Recipe