Fragrant Thai Tom Kha Soup (Printable)

Velvety Thai soup with chicken, coconut cream, lemongrass, galangal, and mushrooms in perfect harmony.

# What You Need:

→ Protein

01 - 10 oz boneless, skinless chicken breast or thighs, thinly sliced

→ Broth & Base

02 - 13.5 fl oz coconut cream
03 - 2 cups chicken stock
04 - 2 stalks lemongrass, trimmed and bruised
05 - 4 slices fresh galangal or 1 tablespoon ground ginger
06 - 4 kaffir lime leaves, torn

→ Vegetables & Aromatics

07 - 7 oz button mushrooms, sliced
08 - 2 small shallots, thinly sliced
09 - 2 cloves garlic, smashed
10 - 2 to 3 Thai bird's eye chilies, smashed, optional

→ Seasoning

11 - 2 tablespoons fish sauce
12 - 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice, plus extra for serving
13 - 1 teaspoon sugar
14 - Salt to taste

→ Garnish

15 - Fresh cilantro leaves
16 - Extra lime wedges

# How To Make:

01 - In a large saucepan, combine coconut cream and chicken stock. Add lemongrass, galangal, kaffir lime leaves, shallots, garlic, and chilies. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat.
02 - Simmer for 10 minutes to extract full flavor from the aromatics.
03 - Add sliced chicken and mushrooms to the pot. Continue simmering for 8 to 10 minutes until chicken is cooked through and mushrooms are tender.
04 - Remove and discard lemongrass stalks, galangal, and lime leaves from the broth.
05 - Add fish sauce, lime juice, sugar, and salt. Stir well and taste, adjusting seasoning as needed.
06 - Ladle soup into bowls. Garnish with fresh cilantro and serve with lime wedges.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It tastes like a restaurant dish but comes together in under 40 minutes on a weeknight.
  • The soup is naturally gluten-free and dairy-free, yet feels indulgent and creamy without any compromise.
02 -
  • Don't skip bruising the lemongrass or you'll end up with beautiful stalks that taste like you just boiled grass; the damage releases the oils that carry flavor.
  • Fish sauce is your friend, not your enemy—it smells wild straight from the bottle but dissolves into umami once heated, and the soup tastes flat without it.
03 -
  • If kaffir lime leaves are impossible to find, store-bought frozen ones work just as well as fresh, so don't let that stop you from making this soup.
  • A small squeeze of lime juice stirred in right at the end lifts the entire bowl and prevents it from tasting too heavy or rich.
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