Tom Kha Gai (Thai Chicken Soup with Coconut and Galangal) Recipe (2024)

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Infused with galangal, this tom kha gai is light and creamy.

Derek Lucci

Derek hosts a Brooklyn supper club featuring Thai food that honors traditional techniques. He is influenced by ongoing dialogue with Thai cooks and the study of old recipe books. He started writing for Serious Eats in 2020.

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Published September 29, 2022

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Why It Works

A galangal-infused stock puts the essential flavor of the soup front and center.
Adding aromatics in stages creates a broth with layered flavors.
Making the soup with chicken stock and coconut cream creates a broth that's both light and creamy.

Tom kha gai, a Thai chicken soup with coconut and galangal, has gained a spot on nearly every Thai restaurant menu in the West, and I often ask myself…why? The most obvious answer is simple: People like creaminess, as well as sour and salty flavors. Pair those elements with chicken and the almost medicinal flavor of galangal and you have a perfect example of comfort food, a soup that warms your soul and body. However, in my experience, the soup often fails to fulfill its potential. Many renditions contain too much coconut cream, making it feel like I’m sipping a warm smoothie, and they frequently don't have enough of that essential galangal flavor. The galangal isn't negotiable: after all, the soup is called tom kha, which translates to "boiled galangal."

As I thought about ways to boost the galangal flavor in the soup, I thought of how ginger is sometimes prepared in many Chinese dishes: It's pounded or blended with water before being strained to make ginger water. (Since I'm referring to ginger, I should say this here: please do not let me catch you making this soup with ginger. It's not a substitute for galangal.) I tested this method with galangal by pounding it in a mortar and pestle and then pouring warm chicken stock over the paste to let it infuse. After about 20 minutes, I was left with a concentrated galangal stock that tasted peppery and medicinal; exactly what I want in a tom kha.

Tom Kha Gai (Thai Chicken Soup with Coconut and Galangal) Recipe (3)

Having answered the question of boosting the galangal flavor, I next had to prevent the soup from becoming a coconut smoothie. The solution is simple, cutting the coconut cream with something else to lighten the broth. While some will reach for water here, I choose to build a more deeply chicken-y soup by using a rich chicken stock that's seasoned with fish sauce and packed with aromatics like lemongrass and shallots. The addition of shallots provides undertones of sweetness that echo the later addition of coconut milk without adding extra sugar.

Once the chicken is cooked through, I add the coconut cream, fresh chiles, and makrut lime leaves to the pot. By adding these ingredients at the very end, the delicate flavor of the coconut cream is preserved and the bright and fresh flavors of those finishing aromatics are left intact.

Finally, I season the soup with equal parts fish sauce for saltiness and umami and lime juice for sourness. To make a full meal out of this, I recommend serving the tom kha gai with jasmine rice, green papaya salad, and makheua yao pad tao jiao (stir-fried eggplant).

Recipe Details

Tom Kha Gai (Thai Chicken Soup with Coconut and Galangal)

Prep10 mins

Cook20 mins

Total30 mins

Serves4 servings

Ingredients

For the Galangal Stock:
1 cup (240ml) homemade or store-bought chicken stock (see note)
One 4-inch piece fresh galangal (50g), peeled
For the Soup:
2 2/3 cups (620ml) homemade or store-bought chicken stock (see note)
One 4-inch piece fresh galangal (50g), peeled and thinly sliced
3 stalks lemongrass, bottom 7 inches only, outer leaves discarded, tender core cut on a bias into 2-inch lengths (about 120g)
2 shallots (40g), peeled and roughly smashed in a mortar and pestle
1/4 cup (60ml) fish sauce, divided
1 1/2 pounds (680g) boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
10 fresh or frozen makrut lime leaves (4g), middle ribs removed
5 to 9 fresh Thai red chiles (5g to 9g total), stemmed and lightly smashed
1 cup (240ml) full-fat coconut cream, such as Aroy-D (see note)
1/4 cup (60ml) fresh lime juice from 2 limes
Cilantro leaves, for garnishing

Directions

For the Galangal Stock: In a granite mortar and pestle, add galangal and pound until a coarse paste forms, about 30 seconds. Set aside.
In a 2-quart saucepan, bring chicken stock to a simmer over medium heat, then remove from heat. Pour one-third of the warmed chicken stock over galangal in mortar, then with the pestle, press on galangal to extract its flavor into the stock, about 1 minute. Repeat process with remaining chicken stock, pressing on galangal each time to continue to express its flavor, then set aside to let the galangal infuse the stock.
For the Soup: Meanwhile, in the now-empty saucepan, add chicken stock, galangal, lemongrass, shallots, and 1 tablespoon fish sauce, and bring to a boil over high heat. Add chicken, return to a boil, then lower heat to maintain a simmer. Cover and cook until chicken is tender and cooked through, about 20 minutes.
Pour galangal stock through a fine-mesh strainer into saucepan, pressing on solids to extract as much liquid as possible before discarding the fiber. Stir in makrut lime leaves, fresh chiles, and coconut cream then remove from heat. Stir in lime juice and remaining fish sauce.
To serve, divide between warmed soup bowls and garnish with cilantro.

Special Equipment

Granite mortar and pestle, 2-quart saucepan

Notes

I prefer using homemade chicken stock made with only chicken and no aromatics. To do so, you can follow this recipe, making it with just chicken and water and no aromatics. If you’re using store-bought stock, look for one that is unsalted and includes minimal aromatics.

Coconut cream has higher fat content than coconut milk. If using boxed or canned coconut cream, make sure to stir the cream well before using since it will likely have a separate fat layer on top. If you cannot find coconut cream, coconut milk will work, the soup will just be a little less rich.

Make-Ahead and Storage

This dish is best served right away to preserve the freshness and sharpness of the ingredients. If you want to serve it the next day, you can reheat it in the microwave or on the stovetop, adding freshly squeezed lime juice as needed to brighten the flavor.

Tom Kha Gai (Thai Chicken Soup with Coconut and Galangal) Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is tom kha soup made of? ›

Tom Kha Gai is a surprisingly simple soup to make with all of the Thai flavors - a base of creamy coconut milk infused with lime, savory fish sauce galangal, lemongrass, lime leaves, then tender pieces of chicken, mushrooms and tomatoes are added to make this soup really hearty.

What is the difference between Tom Kha and Tom Gai? ›

Tom Kha vs.

Perhaps you have seen “Tom Kha Gai” on the menu at Thai restaurants- “Tom Kha” means galangal (flavorful relative of ginger) soup and “Tom Kha Gai” refers to the chicken version of the soup. And “Tom Yum” refers to a different Thai soup that has a tomato base instead of coconut milk.

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What is the difference between tom yum and Tom Kha soup? ›

What is Tom Kah Gai? It's a spicy Thai coconut soup with galangal and chicken. Tom Kha is a creamy-spicy soup, made with coconut milk, whereas Tom Yum is a non-creamy, hot and sour soup, often containing prawns (shrimp).

Which is healthier, tom yum or Tom Kha? ›

Best: Tom Yum Soup

Tom yum has fewer than 100 calories per cup. It also has shrimp, veggies, and fragrant spices, such as lemongrass. Tom yum and other broth-based soups, like tofu-vegetable or wonton, are usually lower in fat and calories than soups made with coconut milk, such as tom kha.

Know More ›

Is Tom Kha just tom yum with coconut milk? ›

Tom Kha Soup

Tom kha is so similar to tom yum that you might not be able to tell the difference. But here is one critical ingredient: coconut milk. Unlike many other Asian soups, the broth depends on coconut milk. For the full effect, you'll need this element.

Get More Info Here ›

What does yum yum mean in Thai? ›

This word literally means mixing things together to achieve the mélange of sweet, sour and spicy notes that typify a yum. The marriage of the words “tom yum”, therefore, results in a yum broth brought to a boil.