Recipe byThe ZestyPlate Kitchen
Thailand's fragrant coconut chicken soup with galangal, lemongrass and lime leaves, balanced with chilli, fish sauce and lime. Creamy, aromatic and comforting.
A fragrant Thai coconut chicken soup, creamy with coconut milk and aromatic with galangal, lemongrass and lime leaves, with a gentle chilli warmth running through it. The silky broth balances tangy lime against salty fish sauce. It is comforting but never heavy, and ready in about 40 minutes.
Jump to recipe
Prep 15 min
Cook 25 min
Total 40 min
Easy
Scale:
- 800ml Chicken Stock
- 800g Coconut Milk
- 2 tablespoons Galangal Paste
- 2 Lemongrass Stalks
- 8 Lime Leaves
- 500g Chicken Thighs
- 300g Oyster Mushrooms
- 6 Birds-Eye Chillies
- 1 tablespoon Caster Sugar
- 5 tablespoons Fish Sauce
- Juice of 3 Lime
- To serve Coriander Leaves
- To serve Rice
Preparation
- Pour the chicken stock and coconut milk into a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the galangal, lemongrass and lime leaves and bring to a gentle simmer, about 6 to 8 minutes. Keeping it at a gentle simmer, add the chicken and cook for 8 to 10 minutes until tender and cooked through.
- Stir in the mushrooms and chillies and simmer for another 3 to 5 minutes until everything is cooked. Sprinkle in the sugar and 3 tbsp each of fish sauce and lime juice. Taste and add the rest if it needs it.
- Lift out the galangal, lemongrass and lime leaves with a slotted spoon. Ladle into bowls, scatter over coriander, and serve with steamed rice. It keeps chilled for up to three days; let it cool first.
Tips from the ZestyPlate Kitchen
- Let the aromatics simmer first so they have time to scent the whole broth.
- Keep it at a gentle simmer; a hard boil can make the coconut milk split.
- Balance it at the end, tasting and adjusting the fish sauce, lime and sugar until it sings.
- Fish out the lemongrass, galangal and lime leaves before you ladle it up.
Frequently Asked Questions
Tom kha is creamy and milder thanks to coconut milk, while tom yum is a clear, hotter, more sour broth. They share many of the same aromatics.
Galangal is sharper and more citrusy than ginger, but ginger is the closest everyday swap if you can't track galangal down.
Yes. Prawns, fish or tofu all work in place of chicken. Just adjust the timing so each is only cooked through.
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