Coconut Chicken Soup (Tom Kha Gai)

A mellow, creamy coconut soup with galangal, lemongrass and tender chicken, brightened with lime.

TIME BREAKDOWN
Prep: 15 min
Cook: 25 min
Total: 40 minutes
Vegetarian
❌
Nuts
❌
Serves
4 people
Difficulty
Easy

Ingredients

  • 400g boneless skinless chicken thighs, sliced
  • 400ml tin full-fat coconut milk
  • 400ml chicken stock
  • 5cm fresh galangal, thinly sliced
  • 3 lemongrass stalks, bruised and cut into 5cm lengths
  • 6 kaffir lime leaves, torn
  • 200g oyster or button mushrooms, torn
  • 3 bird's eye chillies, lightly bruised
  • 3 tbsp fish sauce
  • 2 tsp palm sugar or light brown soft sugar
  • 3 tbsp lime juice
  • 1 long red chilli, sliced
  • small handful fresh coriander leaves

Method

  1. Pour the coconut milk and stock into a saucepan and add the galangal, lemongrass and lime leaves. Bring to a gentle simmer over a medium heat, stirring occasionally.

  2. Simmer for 8 minutes so the herbs flavour the coconut milk. Do not let it boil hard or it may split.

  3. Add the chicken and mushrooms and cook gently for 8 to 10 minutes until the chicken is tender and cooked through.

  4. Add the bird's eye chillies, fish sauce and palm sugar. Take the pan off the heat and stir in the lime juice.

  5. Taste and adjust the balance: it should be creamy, salty, sour and gently sweet.

  6. Ladle into bowls and top with the sliced red chilli and coriander. The lemongrass, galangal and lime leaves are for flavour only.