By: Becky Hardin
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Thai Coconut Chicken Soup is healthy, easy, and so delicious! This creamy Thai chicken soup recipe is made with coconut milk, cilantro, mushrooms, chicken, tomato, and chiles. So much flavor in such an easy soup recipe!
Table of Contents
What’s in this Tom Kha Gai Recipe?
This creamy coconut chicken soup is great for a change on sick days, but it’s just as good when you’re not sick. If you’re a fan of Thai food, you’ll just love the flavors here. Plus it only takes 30 minutes to make! Easy dinner alert!
- Chicken Stock: I highly recommend using stock, but in a pinch, chicken broth will do.
- Coconut Milk: Whole-fat coconut milk will make it extra creamy, or use a lite version.
- Lemongrass Paste: Lemongrass is great for your immune system and can aid in lowering cholesterol.
- Ginger Paste: Traditional tom kha gai is made with galangal, but that can be hard to find, so we’re using ginger paste instead. Ginger is anti-inflammatory and can help with cardiovascular and digestive health. It’s also a great thing to use to fight the common cold.
- Cilantro: This gets mixed into the soup and used as a garnish (I love cilantro!).
- Lime Juice: This bit of acidic citrus flavor brightens the whole soup.
- Serrano Chilis: If you can find Thai chilis, those work even better! Remove the seeds and chop finely. This adds that bit of spice!
- White Button Mushrooms: Filled with antioxidants!
- Shredded Chicken: Cook before adding to the soup (I just used rotisserie chicken for ease).
- Brown Sugar: Adds the perfect level of sweetness.
Pro Tip: Garnish this soup with halved cherry tomatoes, fresh cilantro, and a few shakes of hot sauce!
Variations on Coconut Chicken Soup
For a vegetarian or vegan version of this Thai coconut soup, swap out the chicken stock for vegetable stock and leave out the shredded chicken. You can add more mushrooms or other veggies to beef up the soup a bit more.
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What is the difference between tom kha and tom yum soup?
Tom kha gai is made with coconut milk and chicken, whereas tom yum is made with a seasoned, spicy broth and shrimp.
Is tom kha good for you?
Yes! This soup is packed with healthy fats, vitamins, minerals, and protein!
Is tom kha soup anti-inflammatory?
It sure is! Ginger, lemongrass, and cilantro have particularly high anti-inflammatory effects.
Where can I find lemongrass paste?
Lemongrass paste is a specialty food item, but you may find it in your local grocery store in the produce aisle near the clamshells of herbs. It usually comes in a tube. I used Gourmet Garden brand, which I have seen at Walmart and Target.
Why does it look like my soup curdled after I added the coconut milk?
Coconut milk reacts to heat and forms little curds. To help prevent this, you can temper the mixture by adding a ladleful of the hot soup to the coconut milk, stirring well, then adding that mixture back into the hot soup. You can also take the soup off of the heat and let it cool for a few minutes before adding the coconut milk.
How to Store and Reheat
Store leftover Thai coconut chicken soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in a pot set over medium-low heat or in the microwave in 30-second bursts until warmed through.
How to Freeze
Freezing any soup with milk/cream in it can be iffy, even coconut milk Will it ruin it? Maybe not completely. But will it be quite the same? No.
My recommendation is to make the soup as instructed, but leave out the coconut milk. Freeze the soup in an airtight container for up to 3 months, let thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then stir in the coconut milk while it simmers on the stove.
Serving Suggestions
This soup is so light and nourishing. It’s great served with jasmine rice or an Asian cucumber salad. I enjoy dipping naan bread or dinner rolls into mine to soak up all that delicious broth.
Recipe
Thai Coconut Chicken Soup Recipe (Tom Kha Gai)
4.50 from 12 votes
Author: Becky Hardin
Prep: 5 minutes minutes
Cook: 25 minutes minutes
Total: 30 minutes minutes
Serves6 bowls
Print Rate
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Healthy and easy– what more could you want in a soup?
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Ingredients
- 8 cups chicken stock
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro chopped, plus more for garnish
- 3 tablespoons lime juice (from 2 limes)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon lemongrass paste Gourmet Garden brand recommended
- 1 tablespoon ginger paste Gourmet Garden brand recommended
- 1 serrano chili seeds removed and finely chopped
- 1 cup white button mushrooms sliced
- 3 cups cooked and shredded chicken (I used rotisserie chicken)
- 14 ounces coconut milk (1 can)
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
For Garnish (optional)
- Cherry tomatoes halved
- Fresh cilantro
- Hot sauce
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
Heat the chicken stock, cilantro, lime juice, salt, lemongrass, ginger, and chili in a 6-quart dutch oven or large stock pot over medium-high heat. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer, cooking for 15 minutes
8 cups chicken stock, ¼ cup fresh cilantro, 3 tablespoons lime juice, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1 tablespoon lemongrass paste, 1 tablespoon ginger paste, 1 serrano chili
Add the mushrooms and chicken, stirring to combine. Simmer for 5 minutes, or until chicken is fully heated through.
1 cup white button mushrooms, 3 cups cooked and shredded chicken
Stir in the coconut milk and brown sugar, stirring until everything is fully combined and smooth.
1 tablespoon brown sugar, 14 ounces coconut milk
Simmer until ready to serve, topping with cherry tomatoes, cilantro, and hot sauce (optional)
Cherry tomatoes, Fresh cilantro, Hot sauce
Last step! Don’t forget to show me a pic of what you made! Upload an image or tag me @thecookierookie on Instagram!
Becky’s tips
- I highly recommend using chicken stock over chicken broth in this recipe.
- If you’re not a fan of cilantro, you can try using parsley instead, but the flavor will be different.
- Add the coconut milk slowly and off the heat to help prevent curdling.
- Nutritional information does not include optional garnishes.
Storage:Store Thai coconut chicken soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Nutrition Information
Serving: 1bowl Calories: 378kcal (19%) Carbohydrates: 17g (6%) Protein: 27g (54%) Fat: 23g (35%) Saturated Fat: 15g (94%) Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g Monounsaturated Fat: 4g Cholesterol: 62mg (21%) Sodium: 909mg (40%) Potassium: 717mg (20%) Fiber: 0.2g (1%) Sugar: 7g (8%) Vitamin A: 96IU (2%) Vitamin C: 5mg (6%) Calcium: 34mg (3%) Iron: 4mg (22%)
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More Chicken Soup Recipes We Love
- Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup
- Creamy Chicken Soup
- Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
- White Chicken Lasagna Soup
- Chicken Taco Soup
- Pesto Chicken Tortellini Soup
- Chicken Gnocchi Soup
- White Wine Chicken Stew
- Chicken Pot Pie Soup
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