Tom Kha Gai Irresistibly Creamy Thai Coconut Soup in 30 Minutes!
- Yield 6 servings
- Prep 10 minutes
- Cook 20 minutes
- Total 30 minutes
Tom Kha Gai Irresistibly Creamy Thai Coconut Soup in 30 Minutes! sits in the Soups section of Regbie. The card serves 6 servings. Plan on 30 minutes from the first measure to the plate. The amounts and the method are both written on this page.
Ingredients
Yield: 6 servings
- 2 teaspoons coconut oil, or cooking oil of choice
- 2 large shallots, thinly sliced
- ¼ pound shiitake mushrooms, cut into quarters
- Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 2 (13.5 ounce) cans full-fat coconut milk, divided
- 2 medium lemongrass stalks, trimmed, pounded, and tied in a knot
- 1 2-inch piece fresh galangal, cut into ¼-inch slices
- 6 makrut lime leaves, torn into large pieces (or zest from two limes)
- 1½ pounds boneless and skinless chicken thighs, cut into ½-inch strips
- 2 medium tomatoes, cut into wedges
- 1½ tablespoons Red Boat fish sauce
- Juice from 2 medium limes
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro leaves
- 2 Thai chili peppers or 1 Fresno pepper, thinly sliced (skippable)
Method
Warm a large saucepan over a medium burner, and add the coconut oil once it’s hot. Stir in the shallots and shiitake mushrooms with a sprinkle of salt.
Sauté until the shallots are softened but not browned, about 3-5 minutes.
Tip in the broth and one can of coconut milk. Increase heat to medium-high, stirring frequently until it starts to gently bubble.
Tip in the lemongrass stalks, galangal coins, and torn up makrut lime leaves. Maintain a gently bubble, decreasing the heat to medium or medium-low, stirring occasionally.
When the aromatics have infused the broth (about 5 to 10 minutes), add the chicken. Increase the heat to medium-high to bring back to a gently bubble and cook until the chicken is no longer pink.
Tip in the remaining can of coconut milk and the tomatoes. Leave stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes are heated through but not broken down.
Fish out the lemongrass, lime leaves, and galangal. (Or you can tell your diners to pick out those items in their bowls.)
Lift the pot from the heat and season with fish sauce, lime juice, and cilantro. Check the seasoning and adjust with more seasoning if needed.
Ladle up the soup and add Thai chili peppers to the bowls if desired.
Kitchen notes
- Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- If you can't find fresh, frozen, or dried galangal, lemongrass, and/or makrut lime leaves, you can season the soup to taste with a teaspoon or two of store-bought Thai red curry paste.
