Facebook LinkedIn Email Pinterest Twitter Instagram YouTube Icon Navigation Search Icon Main Search Icon Video Play Icon Plus Icon Minus Icon Check Icon Print Icon Note Icon Heart Icon Filled Heart Icon Single Arrow Icon Double Arrow Icon Hamburger Icon TV Icon Close Icon Sorted Hamburger/Search Icon
Advanced Search
All Access| |
Advanced Search
Recipe

Chicken Coconut Soup (Tome Kha Gai)

By Nancie McDermott Fine Cooking Issue 67
Scott Phillips

Yield: Yields 4-3/4 to 5 cups.

Servings: four as a starter or two as a light meal.

This soup is a treasure: a quintessentially Thai dish that you can make at home simply, quickly, and with great success.

Ingredients

  • 2 stalks fresh lemongrass
  • 2 Tbs. fresh lime juice
  • 2 Tbs. fish sauce (nam pla)
  • 2 scallions (white and green parts), trimmed and very thinly sliced crosswise
  • 6 fresh or frozen wild lime leaves (also known as kaffir lime leaves), torn or cut into quarters
  • 10 to 12 thin slices galangal, fresh, frozen, or dried (or 10 to 12 thin slices fresh unpeeled ginger)
  • 8 to 10 fresh hot red and green Thai chiles, stemmed and lightly pressed with the side of a knife (or 3 or 4  serranos, thinly sliced) for garnish (optional)
  • 2 Tbs. coarsely chopped fresh  cilantro
  • 1 boneless chicken breast half (about 6 ounces), cut into bite-size chunks or sliced across the grain into strips
  • 1/4 lb. white mushrooms, cleaned, stems trimmed, and thinly sliced to yield 1 cup
  • 14-oz. can unsweetened coconut milk (shake the can before opening it)
  • 14-oz. can low-salt chicken broth or 1-3/4 cups water

Nutritional Information

  • Nutritional Sample Size based on four servings
  • Calories (kcal) : 350
  • Fat Calories (kcal): 210
  • Fat (g): 23
  • Saturated Fat (g): 19
  • Polyunsaturated Fat (g): 1
  • Monounsaturated Fat (g): 2
  • Cholesterol (mg): 25
  • Sodium (mg): 770
  • Carbohydrates (g): 25
  • Fiber (g): 3
  • Protein (g): 16

Preparation

  • Trim away and discard the root end and the top 3  inches of each stalk of lemongrass, along with any brittle leaves. Pound each stalk lightly with the spine of a cleaver or an unopened can. Cut each stalk crosswise into 2-inch lengths and set aside.
  • In a large serving bowl, combine the lime juice, fish sauce, scallions, and half of the wild lime leaves. Set the bowl by the stove, along with small dishes containing the galangal, lemongrass, and remaining lime leaves; the chiles (if using), the chopped cilantro; and the sliced chicken and mushrooms.
  • In a medium saucepan, commbine the coconut milk and broth. Bring to a gentle boil over medium-high heat. Stir in the galangal, lemongrass, and lime leaves. Add the chicken and mushrooms. Return to a gentle boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for 10 minutes to infuse the flavors and cook the chicken.
  • Remove the pan from the heat, pour the hot soup over the seasonings in the serving bowl, and stir well. Sprinkle with the chopped cilantro and serve hot. Pass around the chiles for those who want them.
Read Reviews (9)
Save to Recipe Box
Print
Add Recipe Note
Saved Add to List

    Add to List

Print
Add Recipe Note

Related

Reviews

Rate or Review

Reviews

  • user-3299548 | 03/31/2014

    Good recipe for a happy family.

  • User avater
    khavasutra | 10/13/2013

    Simply delicious. Tome Kha Gai is one of my favorite soups to order out and this one delivered spledidly. I did adjust the menu a touch.Firstly I doubled the recipe and added a tablespoon of red curry paste. I added the lemongrass, ginger, and lime leaves during the low boil and then strained them out after 10 minutes. I then added the chicken and mushroom. Instead of pouring the delicious soupy goodness in a bowl I put the green onions, serrano peppers, fish sauce, lime juice, and cilantro in brefore serving. I served Jasmine rice on the side. I also kept my bottle of Sriachi closte at hand. My tastebudes were exstatic.I'm not sure why people thought there was too much of a lime taste. The balance was perfection. It's a favorite in my Paprika app.

  • idaho1976 | 07/22/2012

    Use coconut milk from scratch and add a 1/2 a cup milk, and then cook the milk and and broth with the bones from a rotisserie chicken. Next I put in a good quality curry paste with lemongrass in it already. I put the meat in at the end. My new favorite soup.

Show More

Rate this Recipe

Write a Review

Related Recipes

What We're Cooking Now

Delicious Dish

Find the inspiration you crave for your love of cooking

Fine Cooking Magazine

Subscribe today
and save up to 44%

Already a subscriber? Log in.

Videos

View All

From the Shop

Browse the Shop

Moveable Feast Logo

Season 4 Extras

Santa Fe, NM (509)

Settled at the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, Santa Fe, New Mexico is home to a culinary scene of mixed influences and Southwestern flavors and ingredients. In this episode of…

View all Moveable Feast recipes and video extras

Connect

Follow Fine Cooking on your favorite social networks

Fine Cooking Magazine

Follow

Newsletter

Love to cook? Sign up today and get the latest from Fine Cooking plus special offers

Site Links

Taunton Network

© 2018 The Taunton Press, Inc. All rights reserved.

Fine Cooking may receive a percentage of sales for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs.

Fine Cooking Magazine - June/July 2018

Subscribe today and save up to 44%

Subscribe

Double Check

Do you really want to delete the list, ?

Note

This won't delete the recipes and articles you've saved, just the list.

This feature has been temporarily disabled during the beta site preview.

Add/Edit a private note for this recipe

This note is only visible to you.

Double Check

Are you sure you want to delete your notes for this recipe?

You must be a magazine subscriber to access this feature.

Fine Cooking Cover

Subscribe today and save up to 44%

Subscribe

Or learn more

Already a subscriber?