Tom Kha Gai Soup is a delicious, creamy and incredibly flavorful soup from Thai cuisine. It’s easy to make, bursting with flavor, and sure to please everyone!
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Why this Recipe Works
Tom Kha Gai soup is a delicious and filling soup that can be served with rice, fish cakes, and cassava chips. This makes it easy to put together a complete meal.
Thai Tom Kha Gai Soup
This recipe originates from Laotian cuisine in Thailand. This flavorful Thai coconut soup is definitely in my top five favorite soup recipes! Once you’ve tried it, I’m sure you’ll want to serve it often. It contains a few key ingredients that give it it’s distinct flavor.
- Aromatics: in this case (and non-negotiable) it’s lemongrass, ginger, (Thai) chili’s and (kaffir) lime leaves
- Boneless chicken thighs and chicken stock: the ‘Gai‘ part of the soup, adds protein and a nice soup base
- Coconut milk: also non-negotiable and a classic in the Thai cuisine, makes this soup extremely creamy and rich
- Veggies: mushrooms, sprouts and spring onions make this Thai coconut soup a satisfying dish
Tom Kha Soup with Chicken and Coconut Milk
This soup is seasoned with lemongrass, ginger, lime leaves (available at Asian or health food grocery stores), and fish sauce. It is also filled with chicken, mushrooms, and bean sprouts. It is spicy because red pepper is cooked with it. Are there children eating with you, or are you just not a fan of spicy food? Then add the red pepper to taste! Alternatively, you can serve it separately so that everyone can adjust the spiciness to their liking.
Are you looking for more delicious recipes? I have a large collection of easy soup recipes for you to choose from.
How to Make this Thai Soup Recipe
As I will show you with this recipe, making this flavorful soup yourself is not difficult at all.
- Begin by seasoning the chicken broth with lemongrass, ginger, kaffir lime leaves, and chili peppers. Be careful with the chili peppers if you find them too spicy.
- Cook the chicken in the broth, then add the coconut milk.
- Next, add the mushrooms and bean sprouts, then season to taste with fish sauce, lime juice, and honey.
- Garnish the soup with extra bean sprouts and spring onions cut into rings.
More Recipes from the Thai Cuisine
After making this delicious Asian soup recipe, I can totally imagine that you’ll be eager to try more Thai recipes. The Thai cuisine is known for its colorful and flavorful dishes. Its dishes are diverse and use many different herbs, spices, and ingredients.
Want to try more Thai recipes? Some of my favorites are Thai green curry or my quick pad Thai with chicken.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I reheat the soup?
Reheating this soup is easy! It’s best to reheat it in a saucepan over low heat.
How do I store the leftovers?
This soup is easy to prepare. You can store it in the refrigerator for two to three days.
With what do I serve this soup?
It is delicious served with rice, corn cakes, fish cakes, cassava chips, crunchy vegetables (such as extra bean sprouts or an Asian cucumber salad), and fresh herbs.
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Ingredients
- 750 ml chicken stock
- 2 stalks lemongrass (bruised)
- 4 cm ginger (thinly sliced)
- 3 kaffir lime leaves (torn into pieces)
- 2 red chili peppers (sliced into rings (more or less to taste))
- 300 gram chicken thighs (boneless and skinless, thinly sliced)
- 400 ml coconut milk
- 150 gram chestnut mushrooms (sliced)
- 150 gram bean sprouts
- 2 tbsp fish sauce
- 1 tbsp lime juice
- 1 tsp honey
- 2 spring onions (sliced into rings)
Equipment
- Soup pot
INSTRUCTIONS (how to make this recipe):
- In a soup pot, combine the chicken stock, lemongrass, ginger, kaffir lime leaves, and chili peppers.
- Bring the mixture to a boil, then simmer for 10-15 minutes to release the flavors.
- Add the chicken to the pot and cook for 8-10 minutes, or until the chicken is fully cooked.
- Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the coconut milk.
- Return the pot to low heat and gently simmer the soup (do not boil!) for 5 minutes to blend the coconut milk with the broth.
- Add the mushrooms and bean sprouts. Simmer the soup for another 2-3 minutes.
- Then, add the fish sauce, lime juice, and honey. Taste the soup and add more fish sauce or lime juice, if desired.
- Remove the lemongrass and lime leaves. Serve the soup with spring onions and bean sprouts for added texture. Enjoy!
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