Recipes
Tom Kha Gai (Coconut Chicken Soup)
Serves 4
| Prep Time: 10 mins
| Cook Time: 20 mins
| Total Time: 30 mins
Discover The Recipe
One of Thailand's most popular dishes, Tom Kha Gai (Coconut Chicken Soup) is remarkably easy to make at home. Like many of Thailand's signature dishes, the authentic recipe is aromatic and exotic, with a slightly sweet-sour profile and a little heat. Coconut milk provides a silky smooth soup base and makes this dish sing! Lighten up the calories by using light coconut milk instead.
We're sending you our version of Thai Curry spice blend. Curries are immensely popular in Thailand, but they are prepared differently than in South Asia. Usually they're made with a focus on fresh-ground herbs like Thai basil, cilantro, and aromatics like shallot, ginger, galangal, and garlic. Our chefs have developed a dried spice blend using freshly-ground galangal, a key ingredient in Thai dishes, making it easy to develop an authentic Tom Kha Gai flavor profile with common supermarket ingredients and a minimal amount of prep time. Don't let the long ingredient list intimidate you, as this recipe is easy to customize. Make it vegetarian by leaving out the chicken, using vegetarian broth, and subbing in tofu. Simplify the recipe by leaving out optional ingredients and replacing the soy & fish sauce with salt if necessary.
Ingredients
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 tbsp olive oil
1/3 cup low-salt chicken broth
3 tbsp coconut (or vegetable) oil
1.5 tbsp Piquant Post Thai Curry spice
1 tbsp ginger, minced
2-3 cloves (~1 tbsp garlic), minced
1 white onion, diced
1 cup shiitake mushrooms, sliced
~4 cups low-salt chicken broth
2 inch piece of lemongrass (slightly smashed)
1-2 Thai (or red jalapeño) chilis (optional)
2 cans (14 oz) coconut milk
1.5 tbsp fish sauce
2 tbsp soy sauce (or coconut liquid aminos)
1 lime, juiced (~1 tbsp)
2 tbsp green onion, sliced
1/2 cup cilantro, picked & chopped
Notes
The first step in this recipe is to cook then shred chicken. We're excited to share our recipe for the easiest shredded chicken recipe in this first step. All you need is chicken breast, oil, salt & pepper, and 20 minutes.
Make extra chicken in step 1 and you can freeze the extra shredded chicken in zipper bags to make easy weeknight meals like taco salad or easy enchiladas.
If you have a stand mixer (like a kitchenaid mixer), use the stand mixer to shred the chicken even faster / easier. Don't let it run unattended or too long, lest it turn the chicken to mush.
Optional ingredients add a little character and flavor but don't sweat it if you don't have them.
Instructions
First, season chicken with salt & pepper to taste. Next, heat a large skillet or non-stick pan on Med-High heat. Then, add oil then add chicken breasts. Cook for 6 mins then flip breasts. Meanwhile, turn down heat to Med, add chicken broth to pan, and cover. Cook for another ~8-10 mins or until chicken reaches 165 deg internal temp. Remove from heat and shred with 2 forks.
Next, while chicken is cooking, heat a large soup pot on Med heat. Then add oil then add Thai Curry spice, ginger, and garlic and cook for 2 mins until fragrant. Next, add mushrooms and onion and stir to coat. Sauté for 2 mins.
Add chicken broth, lemongrass, and Thai chili to soup pot and stir. Let simmer for 20 minutes. Stir infrequently.
Finally, add coconut milk, shredded chicken, fish sauce, soy sauce, and lime juice to soup. Stir, taste, and adjust seasoning (adding more salt, soy or fish sauce to taste) before serving. To finish, serve in bowls and garnish with green onion and cilantro.
Alternatives & Substitutions
To make this a vegetarian dish, substitute extra firm tofu or tempeh for the chicken. You can also use additional shiitake mushrooms or use other varieties such as beech or cremini mushrooms.
There are a few ingredients on our list that are essential to the Thai flavor of this dish: coconut milk, fresh herbs, the aromatics (ginger, garlic, lemongrass), and the Thai spice. Otherwise, all the other ingredients can be omitted, combined, or substituted to your liking.
An alternative but still fabulous Thai dish, try our Thai Green Curry. It's super easy to customize with ingredients you have on hand (which is perfect for using up veggies or fresh proteins in your fridge).
If you don't have quite as much time to make / shred the chicken, try our recipe for a Thai seafood coconut curry with shrimp and fresh flaky white fish. Make the green curry paste using with our dried spices as a base and you'll have a very authentic Thai seafood dish.
Vegans: try our delicious Creamy Thai Curried Cauliflower recipe.
Be sure to leave comments and feedback on your meals and experiments in the comments for others to read.
Post pictures of your masterpiece meal on social media and tag us. We repost!
Tom Kha Gai (Coconut Chicken Soup)
Ingredients
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 tbsp olive oil
1/3 cup low-salt chicken broth
3 tbsp coconut (or vegetable) oil
1.5 tbsp Piquant Post Thai Curry spice
1 tbsp ginger, minced
2-3 cloves (~1 tbsp garlic), minced
1 white onion, diced
1 cup shiitake mushrooms, sliced
~4 cups low-salt chicken broth
2 inch piece of lemongrass (slightly smashed)
1-2 Thai (or red jalapeño) chilis (optional)
2 cans (14 oz) coconut milk
1.5 tbsp fish sauce
2 tbsp soy sauce (or coconut liquid aminos)
1 lime, juiced (~1 tbsp)
2 tbsp green onion, sliced
1/2 cup cilantro, picked & chopped
Instructions
First, season chicken with salt & pepper to taste. Next, heat a large skillet or non-stick pan on Med-High heat. Then, add oil then add chicken breasts. Cook for 6 mins then flip breasts. Meanwhile, turn down heat to Med, add chicken broth to pan, and cover. Cook for another ~8-10 mins or until chicken reaches 165 deg internal temp. Remove from heat and shred with 2 forks.
Next, while chicken is cooking, heat a large soup pot on Med heat. Then add oil then add Thai Curry spice, ginger, and garlic and cook for 2 mins until fragrant. Next, add mushrooms and onion and stir to coat. Sauté for 2 mins.
Add chicken broth, lemongrass, and Thai chili to soup pot and stir. Let simmer for 20 minutes. Stir infrequently.
Finally, add coconut milk, shredded chicken, fish sauce, soy sauce, and lime juice to soup. Stir, taste, and adjust seasoning (adding more salt, soy or fish sauce to taste) before serving. To finish, serve in bowls and garnish with green onion and cilantro.
Notes
The first step in this recipe is to cook then shred chicken. We're excited to share our recipe for the easiest shredded chicken recipe in this first step. All you need is chicken breast, oil, salt & pepper, and 20 minutes.
Make extra chicken in step 1 and you can freeze the extra shredded chicken in zipper bags to make easy weeknight meals like taco salad or easy enchiladas.
If you have a stand mixer (like a kitchenaid mixer), use the stand mixer to shred the chicken even faster / easier. Don't let it run unattended or too long, lest it turn the chicken to mush.
Optional ingredients add a little character and flavor but don't sweat it if you don't have them.
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