Tom Kha Gai – Chicken in Coconut Soup

A mild, tamer twist on tom yum, this iconic soup infuses sharp peppers, thinly sliced young galangal, crushed shallots, lemongrass stalks and tender strips of chicken. However, unlike its more watery cousin, its spicy blow is softened by a lashings of coconut milk. Topped with fresh lime leaves, this is a sweet-smelling concoction that’s both creamy and tempting.

Tom Kha Gai Soup is a traditional soup in Thai cooking. It is considered a ‘hot and sour’ soup (mostly from fresh lemon juice) with a base of broth and coconut milk.

Ingredients in Tom Kha Gai soup :

1 can (14 oz.) coconut milk
1 can (14 oz.) reduced-sodium chicken broth
6 quarter-size slices fresh ginger
1 stalk fresh lemongrass, cut in 1-in. pieces
1 pound boned, skinned chicken breast or thighs, cut into 1-in. chunks
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon Thai or Vietnamese fish sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon Thai chili paste
¼ cup fresh basil leaves
¼ cup fresh cilantro

Red Curry Paste: This is a paste made of red chilies, dried shrimp , lemongrass, galangal, kaffir limes, garlic, etc. It’s so flavorful and adds tons to curries, soups and marinades.

Kaffir Lime leaves: These are leaves from the kaffir lime tree and they have a spicy, and fragrant lime flavor .

Galangal: Galangal is similar to ginger, but it has a thinner skin, and a richer, spicier flavor.

Coconut Milk: Coconut milk is made by extracting the liquid from the grated meat of mature coconuts .

In a medium saucepan , First, heat up a bit of neutral oil in the pan and add sliced shallots, chopped lemongrass, and the sliced galangal over medium-low heat. Then fry the aromatics for a couple of minutes until the shallot is a little softened . Then, add the curry paste to the pan and cook it for a couple of minutes, stirring often . Then, add the kaffir lime leaves and the chicken broth and bring it to a simmer for 20 minutes.

Once the broth has reduced slightly, use a slotted spoon to scoop out the galangal, lemongrass, and lime leaves. At this point, add the chicken, fish sauce, palm sugar and coconut milk and simmer until the chicken is cooked through . Then, add the mushrooms and shrimp, season the soup with salt, add fresh lime juice and cilantro. Discard lemongrass. Garnish servings with basil and cilantro and it’s ready to go!

You can add a little chili oil to the soup to make it spicy, but it’s totally up to you !

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