Tom Kha Thai Coconut Soup (Print View)

Velvety Thai soup with chicken, coconut cream, and aromatic herbs

# What You’ll Need:

→ Protein

01 - 10 oz boneless, skinless chicken breast or thighs, thinly sliced

→ Broth & Base

02 - 13.5 oz coconut cream
03 - 2 cups chicken stock
04 - 2 stalks lemongrass, trimmed and bruised
05 - 4 slices fresh galangal or 1 tablespoon ginger
06 - 4 kaffir lime leaves, torn

→ Vegetables & Aromatics

07 - 7 oz button mushrooms, sliced
08 - 2 small shallots, thinly sliced
09 - 2 cloves garlic, smashed
10 - 2 to 3 Thai bird's eye chilies, smashed

→ Seasoning

11 - 2 tablespoons fish sauce
12 - 1 tablespoon lime juice, plus extra for serving
13 - 1 teaspoon sugar
14 - Salt to taste

→ Garnish

15 - Fresh cilantro leaves
16 - Extra lime wedges

# Directions:

01 - In a large saucepan, combine coconut cream and chicken stock. Add lemongrass, galangal, kaffir lime leaves, shallots, garlic, and chilies. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat and simmer for 10 minutes to infuse the broth with aromatics.
02 - Add sliced chicken and mushrooms to the pot. Continue to simmer for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and mushrooms are tender.
03 - Remove and discard lemongrass, galangal, and lime leaves. Add fish sauce, lime juice, sugar, and salt. Stir well, taste, and adjust seasoning as needed.
04 - Ladle soup into bowls. Garnish with fresh cilantro and serve with extra lime wedges.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It tastes like you spent hours in the kitchen when you actually spent less than an hour total.
  • One pot means minimal cleanup and maximum time to actually enjoy the soup.
  • The flavors deepen as it sits, so leftovers are somehow even better the next day.
02 -
  • Don't skip bruising the lemongrass and smashing the aromatics; it's the difference between a nice broth and something that transports you.
  • If you overcook the chicken even by a minute or two, it toughens up, so start checking at the 8-minute mark and use that as your baseline.
  • The soup tastes better the next day after the flavors have time to marry together, so making it ahead actually improves things.
03 -
  • Make a double batch and freeze half in airtight containers for nights when you need comfort food with zero effort.
  • If you can't find kaffir lime leaves, add a little zest of regular lime to the pot as a workaround, though it won't be identical.
  • Keep the heat gentle throughout; aggressive boiling will break down the coconut cream and make it separate rather than stay silky and unified.
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