Authentic Tom Kha Gai (Printable View)

Creamy Thai coconut soup with tender chicken, fragrant aromatics, and balanced flavors.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Aromatics & Broth

01 - 3 cups chicken broth
02 - 1 stalk lemongrass, trimmed and smashed
03 - 4 slices fresh galangal
04 - 4 makrut lime leaves, torn into pieces
05 - 3 Thai birds eye chilies, lightly crushed

→ Main Ingredients

06 - 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, thinly sliced
07 - 14 fluid ounces coconut milk, full-fat and unsweetened
08 - 5 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced
09 - 1 medium shallot, thinly sliced

→ Seasonings & Finishing

10 - 2 tablespoons fish sauce
11 - 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
12 - 1 teaspoon palm sugar
13 - 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
14 - 2 green onions, sliced
15 - Lime wedges for serving

# How To Make It:

01 - In a medium pot, bring the chicken broth to a gentle simmer. Add lemongrass, galangal, makrut lime leaves, and chilies. Simmer for 5 to 7 minutes to infuse the broth with aromatics.
02 - Add the sliced chicken and shallot. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until the chicken turns opaque.
03 - Add the mushrooms and pour in the coconut milk. Stir gently and bring back to a simmer. Do not let it boil vigorously.
04 - Season the soup with fish sauce, palm sugar, and lime juice. Adjust seasoning to taste, balancing salty, sour, and sweet flavors.
05 - Remove from heat. Discard the lemongrass, galangal slices, and lime leaves if desired.
06 - Ladle the soup into bowls. Garnish with cilantro, green onions, and serve with lime wedges.

# Best Practices:

01 -
  • The coconut milk transforms into something silky and complex when it meets galangal and lime—it's nothing like what you'd expect from a soup.
  • You can have dinner on the table in 40 minutes without sacrificing depth or authenticity, which means weeknight Thai takeout becomes a choice, not a necessity.
  • The balance of heat, sour, salty, and sweet teaches your palate how Thai cooking actually thinks about flavor instead of relying on single dimensions.
02 -
  • Do not skip the aromatics infusion step—those 5 to 7 minutes of simmering lemongrass, galangal, and lime leaves is what transforms plain broth into something that tastes like it came from a Bangkok kitchen.
  • Full-fat coconut milk is absolutely essential; lite versions make the soup taste thin and wan, and you'll understand why after your first spoonful of the real thing.
03 -
  • Make friends with your Asian market's produce section—fresh galangal and makrut lime leaves are the soul of authenticity, and frozen ones work beautifully when fresh aren't available.
  • Taste the soup in stages: after you add the aromatics, after the chicken cooks, and again after the seasoning goes in—this teaches you how each ingredient shifts the flavor profile.
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