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overhead view of bowl of tom kha gai Thai coconut soup
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5 from 2 votes

Tom kha gai (Thai coconut soup)

This classic Thai soup is easy to make, with great aromatic flavors and a creamy, comforting broth.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time40 minutes
Course: Appetizer/Starter
Cuisine: Thai
Servings: 2
Calories: 578kcal
Author: Caroline
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Ingredients

  • 1 ½ cups chicken stock
  • 1 stalk lemongrass
  • 4 slices galangal or less if large
  • 4 makrut lime leaves (also called kaffir lime leaves)
  • 2 Thai red chilis
  • ½ lb boneless chicken thighs
  • 3 oz oyster mushrooms
  • 1 cup coconut milk look for a rich, thick milk eg Thai brands
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1 tablespoon fish sauce
  • 1 tablespoon lime juice freshly squeezed
  • 1 stem cilantro coriander, approx - for garnish

Instructions

  • Place the stock in a medium sized pot. Trim the ends off the lemongrass stalk, then bruise the lemongrass, galangal slices and chilis with a mortar or small mallet so open them up a little then add all to the stock. Tear two of the lime leaves then add to the stock as well.
  • Cover the pot with the stock and aromatics and place over a medium heat and bring to a simmer. Meanwhile, cut the chicken into a relatively small dice.
  • Once the stock is simmering, add the chicken and stir to separate the pieces. Bring back to a simmer and cook around 15 minutes until the chicken is cooked through. Reduce the heat if needed so that the mixture simmers rather than has a roaring boil.
  • As the chicken cooks, clean and slice the mushrooms and trim off any tough stems. Once the chicken is cooked through, add the mushrooms to the pot along with the coconut milk and remaining whole lime leaves.
  • Stir the mixture to mix, cover and cook a minute or two more then add the sugar, fish sauce and lime juice. Mix through, taste and adjust the seasonings if needed. Note if you are not serving all immediately, it's better to just add the lime juice in the bowl and store leftovers without the lime juice added.
  • Serve the soup topped with a few torn cilantro leaves as garnish.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 578kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 46g | Saturated Fat: 27g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 117mg | Sodium: 1089mg | Potassium: 957mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 189IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 47mg | Iron: 6mg
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