Thai Coconut Galangal Chicken Soup
This tom kha gai recipe simmers chicken and mushrooms in a silky coconut-milk broth scented with galangal, lemongrass and makrut lime. Unlike tom yum goong, which is a clear hot-sour broth, tom kha gai is creamy and mellow, with the coconut milk softening the chilli and lime. One serving is about 440 g.
Tom kha gai comes from central Thailand, where coconut palms, galangal and lime trees grow side by side, and the soup has long been a home-cooking staple rather than a restaurant invention. Its name is literal: tom means soup, kha means galangal, and gai means chicken. While tom yum goong became famous as a clear, fiery broth, tom kha gai took the same aromatics in a gentler direction, letting coconut milk soften the heat — the reason the two soups are often confused, and the reason they taste so different.
Pairs well with: Steamed jasmine rice and a cold glass of coconut water
Provenance
Thailand
Central Thai Kitchen
East & South Asia
Time Dedication
40m
20m prep • 20m cook
Batch Yield
4 Servings
442 kcal per serving
1 serving ≈ 440 g
Technical Skill
Intermediate
Intermediate (One Pot)
Meal Timing & Digestive Fit
Breakfast
Not Advised
Lunch
Prime Metabolic Fit
Dinner
Ideal Hearty Main
Snack & Tea
Inappropriate
Central Thai Kitchen
Photo: TeamTeam2002, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The Heritage Formulary
Estimated cost: Low — about $3–4 per serving at home (USD)
A good tom kha gai is judged by its balance: creamy first, then salty, sour and sweet, with galangal unmistakable.
Execution Methodology & Culinary Technique
Prep Stage: Bruise the Aromatics
20 Mins • Knife Work
Slice the chicken thinly and tear the mushrooms. Bruise the lemongrass with the flat of a knife and cut it into pieces, slice the galangal into coins, and tear the lime leaves. Squeeze the lime juice and keep it aside — it goes in last.
Maestro Tip: Bruising, not chopping, is what frees the citrus oils from lemongrass and lime leaves.
8 Mins Gentle simmer, 95°C (200°F)
Pour the stock into a pot and bring it to a gentle simmer. Add the galangal, lemongrass, lime leaves and shallots and simmer for 5 minutes until the kitchen smells of citrus and spice.
Keep it at a bare simmer — a hard boil makes the aromatics bitter.
Done when: The broth smells strongly of galangal and lemongrass.
5 Mins Gentle simmer, 95°C (200°F)
Pour in the coconut milk and stir gently. Bring it back to a bare simmer, but do not let it boil hard or the coconut milk can split and turn grainy.
If the milk does split, a gentle whisk usually brings it back together.
Done when: The broth is creamy white and steaming, not boiling.
8 Mins Gentle simmer, 95°C (200°F)
Add the chicken, mushrooms and chillies. Simmer gently for 6–8 minutes until the chicken is white all the way through and reaches 74°C (165°F) inside, and the mushrooms have softened.
Thin slices cook fast — check the thickest piece, not the thinnest.
Done when: Chicken is opaque throughout with no pink; mushrooms are tender.
3 Mins Low heat, 85°C (185°F)
Stir in the fish sauce, palm sugar and cherry tomatoes and simmer for 2 minutes. Take the pot off the heat, then stir in the lime juice.
Lime juice always goes in off the heat — boiling it makes the soup bitter and dull.
Done when: The soup tastes creamy, salty, sour and just sweet, in that order.
2 Mins Serve hot, 70°C (160°F) or hotter
Ladle into warm bowls, fish out the woody lemongrass and galangal pieces as you go, and scatter coriander over the top.
Leave the lime leaves in the bowl for fragrance, but warn guests not to eat the tough pieces.
Done when: Bowls are steaming, creamy white with red chillies on top.
Finishing Touches & Plating
Taste once more before the bowls go out — a good tom kha gai balances creamy, salty, sour and sweet, with the galangal unmistakable. This tom kha gai recipe is best eaten the moment it is ladled, with rice on the side.
Nutritional Physiology & Benefits
Energy
442
kcal / serving
Protein
42g
Complete AA
Carbs
20g
Complex
Fats
23g
Healthy
| Energy | 442 kcal |
| Protein | 42 g |
| Carbohydrates | 20 g |
| Fat | 23 g |
| Fibre | 4.4 g |
| Sugar | 7.9 g |
| Sodium | 917 mg |
| Energy | 100 kcal |
| Protein | 9.4 g |
| Carbohydrates | 4.6 g |
| Fat | 5.2 g |
| Fibre | 1 g |
| Sugar | 1.8 g |
| Sodium | 209 mg |
Nutrition values are estimated — calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for the listed ingredients.
Vitamins & minerals: Vitamin C (lime, tomato, chilli), niacin and B6 (chicken), folate (mushrooms), potassium (coconut milk).
High in Protein
Chicken gives about 41 g of protein per serving, which makes this soup a genuinely filling lunch rather than a light starter.
Gentle Warmth
The hot, creamy broth, galangal and chilli gently warm you up, and the steam alone is soothing on a cold day.
Fresh Herbs and Citrus
Lime juice, tomato and coriander add vitamin C, which helps the body absorb iron from food eaten in the same meal.
Food Pairings
To optimize nutrient absorption and elevate the sensory depth, pair with these authentic accompaniments:
Sides
Steamed Jasmine Rice
Plain rice soaks up the creamy broth and turns a soup into a full lunch, and its mildness tames the chilli.
Vegetables
Blanched Morning Glory or Pak Choi
A quick green on the side adds crunch and a mild bitterness that cuts through the coconut richness.
Drinks
Coconut Water
Cold coconut water cools the chilli gently and echoes the coconut in the soup without adding sweetness.
Full Menus
As Part of a Thai Meal
Serve it family-style beside a stir-fry and rice — the creamy soup balances a sharper, hotter dish such as a green curry.
Complete menu
Start with the soup as the centrepiece, add steamed jasmine rice and a quick green vegetable on the side, and finish with coconut water.
Digestive Guardrails
To prevent digestive distress, sluggishness, or palate clash, avoid pairing the dish with these elements:
Boiling the Soup Hard
A rolling boil splits coconut milk and toughens the chicken, so keep the soup at a gentle simmer. This is general guidance, not medical advice.
Extra Fish Sauce at the Table
The soup is already salty from the fish sauce and stock; adding more pushes sodium well past a comfortable level for one meal.
General information only, not medical advice — consult a doctor for personal dietary decisions.
Who Should Eat It
Health Conditions — Adjust or Avoid
If you have a medical condition, consult your doctor before changing your diet.
Storage & Use
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