Thai Tom Kha Gai (Chicken Coconut Galangal Soup)

Name: Thai Tom Kha Gai (Chicken Coconut Galangal Soup)
Prep time: 23 min
Cook time: 23 min
Total time: 46 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Thai
Ingredients: 1 lb (450 g) boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of excess fat, sliced against the grain into ¼-inch (6 mm) thick bite-size strips; 3⅓ cups (800 ml) full-fat coconut milk, 2 cans (13.5 oz / 400 ml each), shaken well before opening; 2½ cups (600 ml) low-sodium chicken stock; 2 inch piece (50 g) fresh galangal, unpeeled if young, scrubbed, sliced into thin ⅛-inch (3 mm) coins; 2 stalks (60 g) lemongrass stalks, tough outer layers and tops removed, bruised with a rolling pin, cut into 2-inch (5 cm) lengths; 5 leaves (3 g) makrut lime leaves, center stem removed, torn in half; 2 small (60 g) shallots, peeled and thinly sliced; 3 chilies (6 g) Thai bird's eye chilies, lightly smashed, left whole (optional); 8 oz (225 g) oyster or cremini mushrooms, oyster torn into bite-size pieces, or cremini sliced ¼ inch (6 mm) thick; 2 tbsp (30 ml) fish sauce, start with 2 tbsp; you may add up to 1 tbsp (15 ml) more to taste; 2 tsp (8 g) palm sugar or light brown sugar, finely chopped if using a hard palm sugar block; 3 tbsp (45 ml) fresh lime juice, from about 2 limes, strained; ¼ cup (10 g) fresh cilantro, leaves and tender stems roughly chopped; 1 tbsp (15 g) Thai roasted chili paste (nam prik pao) (optional)

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

A fragrant, creamy Thai soup of tender chicken and mushrooms simmered in coconut milk infused with galangal, lemongrass and makrut lime leaves, then brightened with lime juice and fish sauce. Ready in about 45 minutes.

Prep: 23 min
Cook: 23 min
Total: 46 min
Makes: About 7 cups (1.6 L), serves 4 as a main (about 1¾ cups each) with rice, or 6 as a starter

Jump to recipe ♡ Save

Ingredients

4 servings

1 lb (450 g) boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of excess fat, sliced against the grain into ¼-inch (6 mm) thick bite-size strips
3⅓ cups (800 ml) full-fat coconut milk, 2 cans (13.5 oz / 400 ml each), shaken well before opening
2½ cups (600 ml) low-sodium chicken stock
2 inch piece (50 g) fresh galangal, unpeeled if young, scrubbed, sliced into thin ⅛-inch (3 mm) coins
2 stalks (60 g) lemongrass stalks, tough outer layers and tops removed, bruised with a rolling pin, cut into 2-inch (5 cm) lengths
5 leaves (3 g) makrut lime leaves, center stem removed, torn in half
2 small (60 g) shallots, peeled and thinly sliced
3 chilies (6 g) Thai bird's eye chilies, lightly smashed, left whole (optional)
8 oz (225 g) oyster or cremini mushrooms, oyster torn into bite-size pieces, or cremini sliced ¼ inch (6 mm) thick
2 tbsp (30 ml) fish sauce, start with 2 tbsp; you may add up to 1 tbsp (15 ml) more to taste
2 tsp (8 g) palm sugar or light brown sugar, finely chopped if using a hard palm sugar block
3 tbsp (45 ml) fresh lime juice, from about 2 limes, strained
¼ cup (10 g) fresh cilantro, leaves and tender stems roughly chopped
1 tbsp (15 g) Thai roasted chili paste (nam prik pao) (optional)

Equipment (5)

3–4 quart (3–4 L) saucepan or small Dutch oven
Sharp chef's knife and cutting board
Instant-read meat thermometer
Ladle and wooden spoon
Heavy rolling pin or back of a knife for bruising lemongrass

Steps

Before you start

Shake the coconut milk cans well before opening so the cream and liquid are blended.
Find fresh or frozen galangal and makrut lime leaves at an Asian market. Galangal is paler and more peppery-citrusy than ginger.
Plan on about 45 minutes in total: roughly 18 minutes of slicing, 23 minutes on the stove (including about 5 minutes for the pot to come to a simmer), and a few minutes to season and serve. Have everything sliced before you turn on the heat.
The aromatics (galangal, lemongrass, lime leaves, chilies) flavor the soup but are not meant to be eaten. Tell your guests to eat around them.

1
Prep the aromatics
- Trim the root end and dry green tops from the lemongrass, peel off the tough outer 1–2 layers, then whack each stalk along its length with a rolling pin to bruise it.
- Cut into 2-inch (5 cm) lengths.
- Slice the galangal into thin coins, tear the lime leaves in half, slice the shallots, and lightly smash the chilies, if using.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Lemongrass smells strongly of lemon after bruising; galangal coins are thin enough to see light through at the edge.
Tip: Bruising releases the oils, so don't skip it. Whole unbruised stalks give a much weaker flavor.
2
Slice chicken and mushrooms
- Slice the chicken thighs against the grain into ¼-inch (6 mm) strips about 2 inches (5 cm) long.
- Tear the oyster mushrooms or slice the cremini.
- Chop the cilantro.
- Keep the chicken refrigerated until you need it.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Chicken strips are uniformly thin so they cook evenly.
Tip: Partially freezing the chicken for 15 minutes makes it much easier to slice thinly.
3
Infuse the broth
- In a 3–4 quart (3–4 L) saucepan, combine the chicken stock, 1 can (400 ml) of the coconut milk, galangal, lemongrass, lime leaves, shallots, chilies and chili paste, if using.
- Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Reduce to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: The broth smells strongly of lemongrass and citrus, with small bubbles at the edges and no hard boil.
Tip: Keep it at a gentle simmer. A hard boil can make coconut milk separate and look greasy.
4
Cook chicken and mushrooms
- Add the remaining can (400 ml) of coconut milk, the chicken strips and the mushrooms.
- Stir and bring back to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat, about 2 minutes.
- Then simmer 6 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- If the thickest chicken piece is not yet opaque and 165°F (74°C) on an instant-read thermometer, simmer 1–2 minutes more.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Chicken is white with no pink in the center and reaches 165°F (74°C); mushrooms are soft and slightly translucent.
Tip: Skim any foam from the surface with a spoon for a cleaner-looking soup.
5
Season off the heat
- Remove the pan from the heat.
- Stir in 2 tbsp (30 ml) fish sauce, the palm sugar and the lime juice.
- Taste and adjust: add up to 1 tbsp (15 ml) more fish sauce for saltiness, a squeeze more lime for sourness, or a pinch more sugar to round out the tang.
- The soup should taste creamy, sour, salty and faintly sweet in balance.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Sugar is fully dissolved and the soup tastes bright, not flat.
Tip: Add lime juice after turning off the heat. Boiling it makes the flavor bitter and dull.
6
Serve
- Ladle the soup into warm bowls, leaving most of the galangal, lemongrass and lime leaves in the pot or at the side of the bowls.
- Scatter with the chopped cilantro and serve right away, with steamed jasmine rice on the side if you like.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Soup is steaming hot and creamy with a pale, ivory color.
Tip: Warn guests that the galangal and lemongrass pieces are tough and not meant to be eaten.

Good to know

Tips

Use full-fat coconut milk. Light versions give a thin, watery soup that splits more easily.
Season in stages and taste at the end. Brands of fish sauce and coconut milk vary in saltiness and richness, so use 2–3 tbsp fish sauce to taste.
For more heat, add extra smashed chilies or a spoonful of chili paste; for less, omit the chilies.
Slicing the chicken thin makes it tender and quick to cook through without overcooking the soup.

Make ahead

Make the soup through step 4 up to 3 days ahead and refrigerate in an airtight container. Reheat gently over medium-low heat until steaming (do not boil), then stir in the fish sauce, sugar and lime juice and top with the cilantro just before serving.

Storage & reheating

Room temperature: no more than 2 hours. Refrigerator: up to 3 days in an airtight container; reheat gently over medium-low heat, stirring, until steaming hot (165°F / 74°C) without boiling. Freezer: not recommended, since the mushrooms turn spongy and the coconut milk may separate; if you do freeze it, keep it up to 1 month and whisk while reheating.

Substitutions

fresh galangal → fresh ginger. Use the same amount, plus an extra squeeze of lime. The flavor will be spicier and less piney.
makrut lime leaves → finely grated zest of 1 lime. Add it with the lime juice at the end, not during simmering.
boneless, skinless chicken thighs → chicken breast, shrimp or firm tofu. Breast cooks in 5–6 minutes; shrimp needs only 2–3 minutes until pink; tofu just needs to heat through.
fish sauce → light soy sauce or vegan fish sauce. For a vegetarian version, use vegetable stock and 2 tbsp (30 ml) soy sauce in place of the fish sauce, then add up to 1 tbsp (15 ml) more to taste.