Best Tom Kha Soup Recipe Coconut Chicken Soup

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Tom Kha Gai – Perfect for a special occasion!

This Tom Kha Gai, otherwise known as Chicken Coconut Soup is one of favorite soup in the world. The world I tell you. Every special occasion – college graduation, birthdays, lung transplant anniversaries, etc., its tradition to celebrate at my favorite Thai restaurant. After a decade of ordering Panang Curry and Pad Thai and sampling everyone else’s dishes, I still remained faithful to my Panang Curry, nothing else tempted me. Then one fateful day, some of our friends ordered Tom Kha Gai and my world was changed forever. I cannot believe I missed out on this heaven in a bowl for so long! No pictures can do this Tom Kha Gai justice, so I hope you trust me when I say if you like Asian food, you are going to love this soup. Please make this Tom Kha Gai soon – you don’t want to miss out on this soothing, comforting heavenly tradition any longer!

What Does Tom Kha Gai Mean?

Tom Kha Gai is a popular Thai soup known for its intense galangal, coconut aromatic flavor. The literal translation is “boiled galangal chicken” but can be broken down as: TOM means SOUP or BOILED/COOKED, KHA means galangal root and GAI means chicken. Galangal is part of the ginger root family and looks and tastes quite similar, but with a more intense, peppery, pungent flavor.

Why you will love this Tom Kha Recipe

There are SO many reasons to love THIS Tom Kha Gai Soup recipe. Here are just a few:

Pantry Ingredients: I’ve included easy-to-find ingredients so you don’t have to make a special trip to the Asian market BUT this Tom Khai Gai still tastes authentically delicious. Minimal prep: just chop your chicken and veggies! Customizable: use whatever veggies you have on hand or make it the best clean-out-the-fridge soup. One pot wonder: both your protein and veggies cook in one pot which means only ONE POT to clean! RESTAURANT delicious: complex layers of flavor achieved not only be the ingredients but by the method of cooking the chicken IN red curry. Balanced flavors: this Tom Kha Gai is tangy, savory, sweet and salty dance of perfect proportions. Quick: this coconut chicken soup takes less than 30 minutes to make from scratch but tastes like its been simmering for hours! Less expensive: make a whole pot of Tom Kha Gai for the same price of a bowl at a restaurant! Easy to Double: you can double or triple this coconut chicken soup recipe for meal prep, make ahead or freezer meals. Great leftovers: this Tom Kha Gai tastes even better the next day and reheats beautifully. Freezer friendly: this Coconut Curry Chicken freezes fabulously well for make ahead dinners.

Tom Kha Soup Recipe ingredients

The ingredient list for Tom Kha Gai looks lengthy, but I promise the soup comes together very quickly!

What is Coconut Chicken Soup made of?

Tom Khai Gai consists of warm coconut broth infused with lemongrass, red curry, galangal, and basil, with thinly sliced tender chicken, mushrooms and red bell peppers. Its bright and refreshing, both light and rich at the same time, and its layers of tantalizing spices are mesmerizing. I’ve researched authentic Tom Kha Gai recipes, many of which call for galangal and other exotic ingredients that are hard to come by in the United States, BUT I want everyone to be able to make this tantalizing coconut chicken soup, so I’ve included instructions on how to make Tom Kha Gai with easy-to-find ingredients OR with exotic ingredients. I think you’ll find, however, that your Tom Kha Gai will taste every bit as complex, authentic and delicious with the pantry substitutions – winning.

CAN I MAKE THIS TOM KHA RECIPE VEGAN?

Absolutely! To make vegan Tom Kha Gai:

Replace the chicken stock with vegetable broth Replace the fish sauce with soy sauce Omit the chicken completely or replace it with one pound firm cubed tofu

How to use lemongrass for Tom Ka Soup

Lemongrass is one of my favorite ingredients and absolutely essential to this Tom Kha Gai Soup. I use it in my Lemongrass Chicken and Vietnamese Noodles, so if you’ve never worked with lemongrass before, don’t be intimidated!

So what exactly is Lemongrass?

Lemongrass lives up to its name – it is perennial grass that grows in tropical climates with a pungent, lemony taste. It is widely used in Thai and Vietnamese cuisine and as a medicinal herb in India.

How do I choose Lemongrass?

When selecting lemongrass at the store, look for stalks that are firm but slightly pliable rather than soft and rubbery or dried out and brittle. Look for stalks that transition from pale yellow at the base to bright green in the husks and avoid stalks with leaves that are starting to brown.

How do I Use Lemongrass?

Lemongrass can be used for different purposes. The tender white core is traditionally chopped or ground for marinades, curries or stir fries. The stalk of lemongrass is used to release its flavor in soups and stews like this Tom Khai Gai Soup.

How do I Chop Lemongrass?

You simply chop of the bottom of the stalk, peel off the outer layer and chop into thirds to fit into your pot. Let the lemongrass simmer with your soup then remove it when the soup is done – then taste the magic!

Can I make Tom Kha Soup with ginger?

Galangal is literally in the name of Tom Kha Gai, so can it be made without it? Galangal tastes much like ginger with the complexity of pungent, pepper pine undertones. So basically, it is ginger on steroids. I have successfully made this coconut chicken soup, however, by substituting the galangal with ginger and adding bay leaves and pepper. If making a trip to the Asian market is easy for you, then go with the galangal, but you will NOT be disappointed if you use the ginger instead.

How to Make Tom Kha Gai

Saute curry for more flavor. Tom Kha Gai is very simple to make. First, we want to bloom our curry power, which is essentially frying it in oil to unlock the flavor along with red pepper flakes and garlic. Saute chicken in the curry. Next, we add our chicken so it can be seasoned by the red curry paste and doesn’t just taste like bland, boiled chicken. Add soup ingredients and simmer. Now its, time for the stock. Simply add the chicken stock, bay leaves, ginger, lemongrass, basil, salt and pepper and simmer the soup for 10 minutes to unlock the flavor. Add the rest. Stir in coconut milk, fish sauce, sugar, lime juice, mushrooms, and red bell pepper. Simmer just a couple minutes until bell peppers are crisp tender. Remove lemongrass. When ready to serve, ladle out lemongrass stalks, bay leaves and ginger/galangal chunks. Garnish. Top individual bowls with fresh cilantro, green onions, fresh basil and fresh lime juice to taste.

What to serve with Coconut Chicken Soup

In Thailand, Tom Kha Gai is actually eaten more like a curry instead of a soup in which you add rice to your bowl then spoon the soup on top of it. I personally haven’t been served it this way but I always love the addition of rice to any soup. As far as toppings, the more, the better! I love fresh, citrusy cilantro, earthy, fresh basil, sharp green onions, spicy Thai red chiles and even crushed peanuts. The beauty of making your own Tom Kha Gai, is you can make it perfect for YOU! At Thai Restaurants Tom Khai Gai Soup is served as an appetizer, which means, you get to pair it with any of your Thai favorite main courses such as:

Red Curry Chicken Yellow Curry Coconut Curry Chicken Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce Peanut Pineapple Thai Chicken Satay Thai Pineapple Chicken Stir Fry Thai Orange Peanut Chicken

HOW TO STORE TOM KHA SOUP

The flavors of this Tom Kha Gai only improve with time, so it makes fantastic leftovers. Tom Kha Gai should be stored in an airtight container in your refrigerator. When properly stored, the soup is good for 3-5 days.

HOW DO I REHEAT TOM KHA GAI?

Crockpot: add Tom Kha Gai to the crockpot, cover and heat on low for 1-2 hours. Stove: transfer Tom Kha Gai to a soup pot or sauce pan (depending on volume) and and heat over medium low heat, stirring occasionally until heated through. Microwave: transfer individual servings of coconut chicken soup to a microwave-safe dish, cover with a microwave-safe lid or paper towel. Microwave for 2 minutes, stir, then continue to microwave for 30-second intervals, if needed.

CAN I FREEZE TOM KHA GAI SOUP?

Yes! Unlike many cream based soups, Tom Kha Gai freezes well because there is not any dairy. I don’t care for the texture of the mushrooms when frozen, however, but you can just pick those out. To freeze:

Looking for more Thai Recipes?

Thai Chicken Lettuce Wraps Thai Chicken Pizza Thai Chicken Noodle Soup Thai Soup with Chicken and Wild Rice Thai Peanut Dressing Thai Peanut Beef and Broccoli Thai Chicken Tacos Curried Butternut Squash Soup