Tom Kha Gai

Tom Kha Gai is a creamy coconut-milk chicken soup infused with galangal, lemongrass, and kaffir lime leaf, finished with lime juice for a gentle sourness that plays against the rich coconut base. It's milder and creamier than tom yum, with a fragrant, almost floral aromatic backbone.

By YumYum Editorial · Thai

Prep: 15 min · Cook: 25 min · Total: 40 min · Serves 4

Ingredients

• 4 cups coconut milk
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 1 lb boneless chicken thighs, thinly sliced
• to taste 4-inch piece galangal, thinly sliced
• 3 stalks lemongrass, smashed and cut into 2-inch pieces
• 6 kaffir lime leaves, torn
• 2 cups straw mushrooms or button mushrooms, halved
• 3 tbsp fish sauce
• 1 tbsp palm sugar
• 4 tbsp lime juice
• 3 Thai chiles, smashed (for heat)
• 1/4 cup cilantro leaves, for garnish

Instructions

1. Combine coconut milk and chicken stock in a pot and bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat — do not boil hard, or the coconut milk may split.
2. Add galangal, lemongrass, and kaffir lime leaves; simmer 8-10 minutes to infuse the aromatics into the broth.
3. Add sliced chicken and simmer until just cooked through, about 5-6 minutes.
4. Add mushrooms and smashed chiles, cooking 3-4 minutes more until mushrooms soften.
5. Stir in fish sauce and palm sugar, tasting for a balance of salty and mildly sweet.
6. Remove from heat and stir in lime juice at the very end so its brightness doesn't cook away.
7. Taste and adjust with more lime for sourness or fish sauce for salt.
8. Ladle into bowls, making sure to avoid serving the woody lemongrass and galangal pieces, and garnish with cilantro.