Tom Kha Gai

Jess
Silver Post Medal for All Time! 267 Posts

A bowl of creamy Tom Kha Gai soup. I first tried this spicy Thai chicken soup at a outdoor festival last summer. It was such a delicious combination of creamy and spicy, I wanted to try to make it at home. I looked at a lot of versions online to see what challenges and pitfalls there might be.

Everyone agrees that galangal, a Southeast Asian relative to ginger, is required for authentic Tom Kha. The galangal is simmered with lemongrass, spicy Thai chilies and kaffir lime to richly flavor chicken stock. The broth is added to coconut milk with chicken and mushrooms for a hearty meal.

Ingredients:

I used two rotisserie chickens from Costco for both the meat and the broth, with some set aside for future meals. Next time, I will try adding in the aromatic flavors while I am reducing the stock to avoid having to strain twice.

A rotisserie chicken being taken apart and made into soup.

All the exotic ingredients should be available at an Asian food market or Whole Foods. They keep well in the freezer so plan accordingly. I saved half to make the next batch of soup.

A plastic container of Asian herbs and seasoning for making Tom Kha Gai

6 cups chicken broth
1 stalk lemongrass, smashed
1 garlic cloves, smashed
3 shallots, peeled and chopped in quarters
1 3 inch galangal section, chopped*
4 kaffir lime leaves, bruised
2 cups shredded chicken
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1/4 cup Thai or Vietnamese fish sauce**
1 13 oz. can coconut milk
1/2 cup lime juice (4 limes)
2-4 Thai chilies, smashed***
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped

Asian herbs and seasonings: lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, shallots, garlic and galangal.

*If you cannot find galangal, you can substitute ginger but the flavor will not be the same.

**Use fish sauce sparingly as the flavor can be strong to unfamiliar palates. My original recipe calls for 1/2 cup of fish sauce.

***Thai chilies are much hotter than jalapeños so use caution when chopping and measuring. Jalapeños or other spicy green chiles can be substituted, if necessary.

Steps:

Add chicken stock to pot and heat to a simmer. Add the galangal, garlic, shallots, kaffir lime leaves and lemongrass. Simmer lightly for about 15 minutes to allow the broth to pick up the flavors. Strain the broth and return to the pot.

Chicken broth being made, with Asian seasonings.

Add the chicken, mushrooms and coconut milk to the pot and simmer together for about 10 minutes.

Sliced mushrooms being added to a soup pot.

Shredded chicken being added to a soup pot.

Add fish sauce, Thai chilies and lime juice and remove from heat. Garnish with cilantro before serving.

This is a hearty soup but can also be served with rice or noodles. It reheats well, if there is any left.

Add your voice! Click below to comment. ThriftyFun is powered by your wisdom!

Hello
Bronze Post Medal for All Time! 107 Posts

April 6, 20170 found this helpful

this looks divine!! HAVE to try it

attosa
Diamond Post Medal for All Time! 1,246 Posts

April 7, 20170 found this helpful

This recipe looks spot on (I am a Tom Kha Gai connoisseur) so this makes me really happy. ;)

phiney

April 13, 20170 found this helpful

Fish sauce is listed twice in the recipe - is this correct?

Jess
Silver Post Medal for All Time! 267 Posts

April 14, 20170 found this helpful

Oops, only once. I don't know how I did that. It has been amended to just one 1/4 cup of fish sauce. :)

wordswork
Bronze Feedback Medal for All Time! 170 Feedbacks

April 14, 20170 found this helpful

Just to clarify (before I head to the Oriental market)? You don't really mean 13 cans of coconut milk?

Jess
Silver Post Medal for All Time! 267 Posts

April 14, 20170 found this helpful

Top Comment

That is definitely a typo. It must have grabbed the 13 from the size of the can. It is one can of coconut milk. You can use light or regular, as you prefer.

Hello
Bronze Post Medal for All Time! 107 Posts

April 28, 20170 found this helpful

lol that would be crazy

Add your voice! Click below to comment. ThriftyFun is powered by your wisdom!