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Thai

Tom kha gai

Non-vegetarian

ต้มข่าไก่ · tom kha kai

A creamy, tangy Thai soup of chicken and mushrooms simmered in coconut milk perfumed with galangal, lemongrass and makrut lime leaves, sharpened with lime juice.

Tom kha gai is a Thai soup from Thailand, ready in about 35 minutes and made with coconut milk, galangal and chicken breast. It serves 4 and is rated easy to cook.

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Authentic Thai Tom Kha Gai soup with chicken, coconut milk, and vegetables.
Photo: UNDO KIM / Pexels · Pexels License
Prep
15 min
Cook
20 min
Total
35 min
Serves
4
Level
Easy
Calories
396

Ingredients

4 servings

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Bring the coconut milk (opens in a new tab) and stock to a gentle simmer with the galangal (opens in a new tab), lemongrass (opens in a new tab), lime leaves and shallots (opens in a new tab). Simmer for 5 minutes to infuse.

  2. Step 2

    Add the chicken and mushrooms (opens in a new tab) and simmer gently, without boiling hard, until the chicken is cooked through.

    • 8 min
    • medium-low heat

    Food safety: Cook chicken until no pink remains and the juices run clear (74 °C in the thickest part).

  3. Step 3

    Add the chillies, fish sauce (opens in a new tab) and palm sugar (opens in a new tab) and simmer for 30 seconds, then lift the pan from the stove and stir in the lime juice (opens in a new tab). Taste: it should be salty, sour and creamy with a little heat.

    • 2 min
    • medium-low heat
    A curry simmering in a pot
    How it looks · Photo: Bachir Mamud on Pexels

  4. Step 4

    Ladle into bowls and scatter with coriander. The galangal (opens in a new tab), lemongrass (opens in a new tab) and lime leaves are left in for aroma but not eaten.

      Fresh herbs scattered over a finished dish
      How it looks · Photo: Klaus Nielsen on Pexels

    About this dish

    Origin
    Thailand · Well documentedAlso popular in United States, United KingdomMore food from Thailand
    Dish
    Lunch · Dinner · Soups
    Cooking method
    Simmered
    Taste
    creamy, sour, aromatic / warmly spiced, spicy (chilli heat)
    Diet
    No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · High-protein
    All labelsNon-vegetarian · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · High-protein · Calorie-conscious
    With the listed swaps: Vegan, Plant-based, Vegetarian (lacto-ovo), Eggetarian, Lacto-vegetarian, Ovo-vegetarian, Pescatarian, Flexitarian-friendlyWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
    Good for
    One-pot · Everyday
    Cook more with
    Coconut milk · Galangal · Chicken breast · Chicken stock · Lemongrass · Makrut lime leaves
    Techniques
    Simmering

    Allergens

    • Contains, can be adapted: Fishfrom fish sauce
    • May contain: Crustaceansfrom fish sauce
    • May contain: Celeryfrom chicken stock

    Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

    Nutrition

    396 kcal per serving

    Estimated

    1 serving ≈ 395 g · recipe makes 4

    Where the energy comes from

    • Protein 29%
    • Carbohydrate 15%
    • Fat 56%
    Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
    NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
    Energy396 kcal100 kcal
    Protein29.5 g7.5 g
    Carbohydrate15.7 g4 g
    Net carbohydrate——
    Sugars——
    Added sugars1.1 g0.3 g
    Fibre——
    Fat25.4 g6.4 g
    Saturated fat19.8 g5 g
    Trans fat——
    Cholesterol76 mg19 mg
    Sodium1078 mg273 mg
    Salt equivalent2.7 g0.7 g
    Vitamins & minerals per serving
    Potassium
    980 mg
    Calcium
    49 mg
    Iron
    5.3 mg
    Magnesium
    113 mg
    Vitamin A (RAE)
    22 µg
    Vitamin C
    16 mg
    Vitamin D
    0.1 µg
    Vitamin B12
    0.3 µg
    Folate (DFE)
    57 µg

    How these numbers were made

    • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
    • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
    • Not counted (tiny amounts or “to taste”): makrut lime leaves.
    • Galangal: Fresh ginger used as a stand-in: no galangal entry in FDC SR Legacy, and galangal is a closely related rhizome used in similar small amounts.
    • Jaggery / palm sugar: Brown sugar (FDC 168833) used as a stand-in for unrefined cane jaggery and palm sugar.
    • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
    • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

    Good to know

    Tips

    • Add the lime juice off the heat — boiling it makes the soup taste dull and bitter.

    Common mistakes

    • Boiling hard after adding the coconut milk can split it.

    Serve with

    • Serve with jasmine rice as part of a shared Thai meal.

    Storage

    • Refrigerate for up to 2 days.

    Reheating

    • Reheat gently without boiling; refresh with a squeeze of lime.

    Variations

    • Tom kha het: A mushroom-only version with vegetable stock, tofu and soy sauce instead of fish sauce.

    Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

    Recipe DNA

    How this dish is built

    Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

    What the dish is built around

    Main ingredient

    Used in steps 1, 2, 3

    Reviews & corrections

    Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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