I’ll never forget the first time I tried this soup. My husband and I were still dating, and he had been going on and on about this spicy Thai coconut soup for months. When I finally tried it, all I could think was, “where has this been my whole life?!” A few minutes later, Doug stepped away to take a phone call, and it took every single ounce of will-power I possessed to stop myself from mowing through his soup too.
True love means not scarfing down your partner’s soup when their back is turned. No matter how much you want to.
Spicy Thai coconut soup, aka Tom Kha Gai, is basically the Thai version of creamy chicken soup. It’s surprisingly light and refreshing when it’s warm outside but still oh-so comforting on a cold or rainy day. (FYI: it’s also completely awesome when you’re not feeling well!!)
It’s made with coconut milk, chicken, and limes and some other quintessentially Thai ingredients, but the real stars of the show are the galangal and the fish sauce. A few ingredients are only available at an Asian foods store or international market, but since stopping by a specialty market isn’t always a simple errand, I’m including included 2 recipes.
The first one is for an authentic spicy coconut soup, with all the traditional ingredients. The second recipe is one that we use the most and doesn’t require a special trip every time you have a craving for spicy Thai coconut soup.
Over the years, we’ve managed to whittle the ingredients list down to only the ones that add such a distinctive flavor that the soup doesn’t taste right without it. The good news is that since most supermarkets carry fish sauce and hot chili oil these days, the only specialty ingredient required in this version is the galangal, and it lasts forever in the freezer.
I can’t wait to hear what you think about these recipes for spicy Thai coconut soup! The flavors of the coconut milk, the galangal, the lime, and the fish sauce work together to create something really amazing, especially after you top it with green onions and hot chili oil (aka hot sesame oil). Enjoy!!
Tom Kha Gai
Spicy Thai Coconut Soup
Ingredients
- 2 stalks fresh lemongrass, tough outer layers removed
- 2 inch piece of galangal* sliced, approx 1/4" ea.
- 1/3 cup fresh lime juice (approx 2 limes)
- 8 kaffir lime leaves
- 2 cups good-quality chicken stock
- 2 cups water
- 2 large uncooked chicken breasts, sliced into bite-size pieces
- 6-8 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced* any kind or use a combo, it's up to you
- 2 13.5-ounce cans coconut milk, Full fat (Lite coconut milk makes this soup thin and watery, in other words, not good!)
- 4-5 tablespoons fish sauce (I start with 4 but I usually end up adding another tablespoon at the end)
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- toppings: fresh cilantro, thinly sliced green onions, fresh lime wedges, hot chili oil or fresh Thai chilis, thinly sliced
Instructions
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Using the back of a knife, lightly smash lemongrass and slice into 4” pieces.
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Add lemongrass, galangal, lime leaves, chicken broth and water to a large saucepan or small stockpot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
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Strain broth into clean pot and discard solids.
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Return broth to boil and add chicken. Boil for 5 minutes. Skim top as needed.
(FYI: You're skimming the surface just to get the funky stuff that sometimes floats to the surface when you boil chicken. If you don't see anything, don't worry about it 🙂 )
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Reduce heat and add mushrooms and 1 can of coconut milk. Simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally and again skimming top as needed.
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Add the remaining can of coconut milk, fish sauce, lime juice, salt, and sugar. Continue to simmer for 10 minutes. Taste. Add lime juice or salt to taste.
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Divide soup among bowls and serve immediately. Garnish individual servings with green onion, chili oil or thinly sliced Thai chilis, cilantro, or lime wedges as desired.
Recipe Notes
Fish sauce and lemongrass are available at most supermarkets these days but if you have trouble, your asian market will have them.
You can buy kaffir lime leaves and galangal at any asian foods market. I prefer the frozen galangal just becuse it lasts a lot longer. Tip: I’ve found that holding the piece you want to cut under the faucet for a minute makes it easier to slice.
Tip: Chicken breasts are easier to slice into small pieces if they are partially frozen. If fresh, place in freezer for 30-60 minutes before slicing.
Note: I often omit the mushrooms due to picky eaters and honestly, I’ve found I like the flavor just as much without them!
Alternate Spicy Thai Coconut Soup Recipe:
Simple and Delicious Spicy Coconut Soup
Ingredients
- 2- inch piece of galangal sliced, approx 1/4" ea. *
- 1/3 cup fresh lime juice*
- 1.5 tablespoons lime zest*
- 4 cups water
- 2 large or 3 small uncooked chicken breasts, sliced into bite-size pieces
- 2 13.5- ounce cans coconut milk, Full fat Lite coconut milk makes this soup thin and watery, in other words, not good!
- 4 tablespoons fish sauce I start with 4 but I usually end up adding up to another tablespoon at the end. (If you're adding more then 4TBSP then add 1 teaspoon at a time)
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Garnish: fresh cilantro, thinly sliced green onions, fresh lime wedges, hot chili oil or fresh Thai chilis, thinly sliced.
Instructions
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Add 1 can of coconut milk, galangal and water to the pot and bring to boil over medium-high heat and bring to a boil.
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Add chicken and let come back up to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and cook for 10 minutes, skimming the top as needed.
(FYI: You're skimming the surface just to get the funky stuff that sometimes floats to the surface when you boil chicken. If you don't see anything, don't worry about it 🙂 )
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Add remaining can of coconut milk, salt, sugar, lime zest, and fish sauce.
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Lower heat and continue to simmer for about 15 min.
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Turn heat to high and bring back to a boil. Add ⅓ cup lime juice. Turn off heat.
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Taste. Add more lime or fish sauce as desired.
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Divide soup among bowls and serve immediately. Garnish individual servings with green onion, hot chili oil or thinly sliced Thai chilis, cilantro, or lime zest/wedges as desired.
Recipe Notes
You can buy galangal at any asian foods market. I prefer the frozen galangal just becuse it lasts a lot longer. Tip: I’ve found that holding the piece you want to cut under the faucet for a minute makes it easier to slice.
Tip: Chicken breasts are easier to slice into small pieces if they are partially frozen. If fresh, place in freezer for 30-60 minutes before slicing.
*I have found that 2 limes are sufficient for zest and juice. The juice is typically just over 1/3 cup so we add the remaining lime juice to our individual servings according to taste.
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