Tom Kha Gai (Thai Coconut Chicken Soup)
Delight in this Tom Kha Gai, a Thai coconut chicken soup that balances sour, spicy, sweet, and savory flavors in just 30 minutes.
Equipment
- medium soup pot
Ingredients
- 12 ounces boneless skinless chicken thighs or boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into thin strips
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons neutral oil plus 1 tablespoon
- 2 teaspoons fish sauce plus 2 tablespoons
- 8 ounces mushrooms such as oyster, shiitake, cremini or button mushrooms, torn into pieces or thinly sliced
- 3 cups chicken stock
- 1 stalk lemongrass bottom half only, tough outer layers removed and scored in half lengthwise—keep it in one piece
- 8 slices galangal
- 3 fresh or dried makrut lime leaves or zest of 1 lime
- 1-2 Thai chilies cut in half; optional—omit for a milder soup
- 1 tablespoon Thai red curry paste optional
- 1 tablespoon palm sugar or light brown sugar
- 14 ounces coconut milk 1 can
- 3 tablespoons lime juice
- ¼ cup cilantro or scallions, roughly chopped
Instructions
- Combine the sliced chicken with the cornstarch, and 2 teaspoons each of neutral oil and fish sauce. Set aside.
- To a medium soup pot over medium-high heat, add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil and the mushrooms. Fry the mushrooms for about 5 minutes, or until tender.
- Add the chicken stock, lemongrass, galangal, lime leaves or zest, chilies and red curry paste (if using), and sugar. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cover, lower the heat, and simmer for 6 minutes.
- Stir in the coconut milk, and bring back up to a simmer over medium-high heat—watch the pot and don’t let it come up to a rolling boil, or the coconut milk could split.
- Add the chicken. Bring back up to a simmer, lower the heat to medium-low, cover, and cook for 8 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through.
- Turn off the heat, and stir in the remaining fish sauce, lime juice, and fresh cilantro (or scallions/green onions, if you're not a cilantro fan). Season with salt to taste if needed. Ladle into bowls, and serve on its own or with some steamed jasmine rice!
Nutrition
Serving: 1servingCalories: 387kcal
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