Easy Tom Kha Gai

A close up top view of Tom kha soup with a spoon and lemon grass on the side.

5 from 1 vote

Make this easy version of Tom Kha Gai soup with pantry-friendly ingredients in 30 minutes. Find easy substitutes to satisfy Thai food cravings without breaking the bank.

Course Soup

Cuisine Thai

Keyword tom kha gai soup

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 25

Total Time 35

Servings servings

Calories 354kcal

Author Mariam Sodawater

Ingredients

1 tablespoon coconut oil or any neutral oil
½ tablespoon minced garlic
2½ tablespoons minced ginger or galangal, see notes
2 teaspoons red Thai curry paste
½ teaspoons red chilies flakes skip for less spicy
½ cup chopped onion
200 g chicken breasts cut in thin slices
1 can white mushroom caps sliced
1 stalk lemongrass pounded with the side of a knife and cut into 2-inch long pieces
4 cups chicken broth I used a mix of homemade broth plus chicken bullion.
½ tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 can coconut milk see notes
¼ cup cornflour dissolved in ½ cup water.
1 stalk green onions green part only, sliced

Instructions

Heat oil in the soup pot and fry garlic. Then add the red curry paste, red chili flakes, chopped ginger, and onion. Fry for 5 minutes until onion changes the color to translucent.
Now mix in chicken and lemongrass. Keep stirring until the color of the chicken changes.
Next, add mushroom, soy sauce, lemon juice, sugar, and chicken stock. (Tip: If using fresh sliced mushroom add along with the chicken.)
Let the soup simmer for 15 minutes then add coconut milk and cornflour slurry.
Let the soup simmer for another 5 minutes.
Then garnish with green onions and serve.

Video

Notes

Thai curry paste: This is easily available in Asian stores or online. It is a paste made with Thai chilies, lemon grass, galangal, and Thai red chilies. Try to look for the vegan version to get a curry paste without shrimp paste.

Ginger: Use fresh ginger, or if you can find galangal, add it. You can also use frozen galangal or dried galangal slices. Rehydrated dried galangal slices before use.

Lemon grass: I used fresh lemon grass, you can also use lemongrass paste too. If you use dry lemon grass then use extra and boil it with chicken stock and strain before adding it to the soup.

Sugar: If you have palm or coconut sugar, use that.

Mushroom: Shitake or Cremi mushrooms are the best choices, I used canned to keep it easy. If using fresh sliced mushrooms add them along with the chicken.

Coconut milk: If using coconut milk powder, use about 1 cup coconut milk powder mixed in 1½ cup water. Use full-fat coconut cream for a creamier taste.

Makrut lime or kefir lime is the same leaves. If you have them in hand, you can add those too. Even regular lime leaves add to the flavor.

Nutrition