Coconut Chicken Soup – ‘Tom Kha Gai’, its Thai name – is one of the most flavorsome soups you’ll ever try. The perfect balance of kaffir lime leaves, piney galangal & pungent fish sauce together with silky coconut milk produce a vibrant & authentically flavored Thai soup.
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‘Tom kha gai’ means – coconut galangal chicken & it’s the galangal, along with the kaffir lime leaves, that give the soup such depth of flavor. An easy soup to pull together, it boasts few ingredients for such a powerhouse of flavor. There is a tiny bit of cheating in the form of some ready-made Thai curry paste but that’s okay, cook smarter not harder.
With spring finally upon us in the northern hemisphere there’s still a few cooler nights we have to endure. Curling up on the couch with a bowl of coconut chicken soup & firing up Netflix makes for a cosy night in. Forget the Thai-takeout when you can recreate authentic Thai food at home. A soup is the perfect place to start.
For a list of Thai pantry, must-haves check out this article. Want to try your hand at some other Thai recipes? They’re easier than you think. Try Thai Fish Cakes & Pork Larb.
coconut chicken soup
Ingredients
- 1 quart (1 liter) chicken broth
- 2 14 oz (400 ml) cans coconut milk
- 2 or 3 tablespoons red or green curry paste
- 3 inch (7.5cm) piece of galangal peeled & sliced
- 2 lemongrass stalks, white & tender green parts only, halved
- 6 kaffir lime leaves, bruised (crumple in your hand to bruise)
- 3 tablespoons fish sauce
- 3 tablespoons grated palm sugar (or packed brown sugar)
- 1 1lb (500g) skinless, boneless chicken thighs, chopped
- 8 oz (250g) small mushrooms, quartered
- 1/4 cup lime juice
- 1/3 cup cilantro leaves
Instructions
- Combine the broth, coconut milk, curry paste, galangal, lemongrass, lime leaves, fish sauce & palm sugar in a pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes to infuse flavors.
- Add the chicken. Simmer, partially covered, for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the chicken is cooked.
- Add the remaining ingredients & cook for about 5 minutes or until mushrooms are softened. Remove lemongrass stalks, lime leaves & galangal before serving.
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