Best Ever Tom Kha Gai Soup (Print View)

Creamy Thai coconut chicken soup with aromatic herbs, lime, and tender mushrooms

# What You’ll Need:

→ Chicken & Broth

01 - 14 oz boneless, skinless chicken breast, thinly sliced
02 - 3⅓ cups chicken stock
03 - 13.5 oz full-fat coconut milk

→ Aromatics

04 - 2 stalks lemongrass, trimmed and smashed
05 - 4 kaffir lime leaves, torn
06 - 3 slices galangal or fresh ginger
07 - 3 Thai bird's eye chilies, crushed
08 - 4 cloves garlic, smashed
09 - 4 small shallots, sliced

→ Vegetables

10 - 7 oz oyster or white mushrooms, sliced
11 - 3.5 oz cherry tomatoes, halved

→ Seasonings

12 - 2½ tablespoons fish sauce
13 - 1½ tablespoons fresh lime juice
14 - 1 teaspoon palm sugar or light brown sugar
15 - ½ teaspoon salt

→ Garnishes

16 - Fresh cilantro leaves
17 - Sliced green onions
18 - Lime wedges
19 - Thinly sliced red chili, optional

# Directions:

01 - Bring chicken stock to a gentle boil in a large saucepan. Add lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, galangal, chilies, garlic, and shallots. Simmer for 5 minutes until aromatics release their flavors.
02 - Add sliced chicken breast to the simmering broth. Reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer and cook for 5–7 minutes until chicken is cooked through.
03 - Pour coconut milk into the broth while stirring gently. Add mushrooms and tomatoes. Simmer for another 5 minutes without allowing the soup to boil.
04 - Adjust seasoning by adding fish sauce, lime juice, palm sugar, and salt. Taste the soup and modify seasonings according to personal preference.
05 - Use a slotted spoon to remove lemongrass stalks, kaffir lime leaves, galangal slices, and garlic cloves if preferred before serving.
06 - Ladle soup into bowls. Garnish with fresh cilantro, green onions, lime wedges, and sliced red chili if desired. Serve immediately.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The soup comes together in under 40 minutes but tastes like it's been simmering all day.
  • It's naturally gluten-free and dairy-free, so everyone at the table gets fed without fussing.
  • One pot means less cleanup, and the aromatics infuse so deeply you'll taste that restaurant quality at home.
02 -
  • Don't skip smashing the lemongrass and garlic—bruising them releases the essential oils that make this soup taste authentic and deeply aromatic.
  • Fish sauce smells funky in the bottle but transforms into umami magic once it's in the broth; trust the process even if it seems odd at first.
03 -
  • Squeeze lime juice fresh right before serving so it keeps that bright, alive quality that makes the whole soup sing.
  • Always taste and adjust seasoning at the end—every brand of fish sauce and every person's palate is different, so trust your spoon over the recipe numbers.
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