Recipes from Cooking Light, Southern Living, Sunset, Coastal Living, All You, Real Simple, and Health
What is the Test Kitchen Guarantee?

Thai Chicken Coconut Soup (Tom Kha Gai)

Sunset
Thai Chicken Coconut Soup (Tom Kha Gai)
Photo: Annabelle Breakey; Styling: Randy Mon
Edit Note

My Notes

(Only you will be able to view, print, and edit this Note)

Worthy of a Special Occasion

Time: 20 minutes.

Total Time: 20 minutes
Yield: Serves 4

Ingredients

  • 1  can (14 oz.) coconut milk
  • 1  can (14 oz.) reduced-sodium chicken broth
  • 6  quarter-size slices fresh ginger
  • 1  stalk fresh lemongrass, cut in 1-in. pieces
  • 1  pound  boned, skinned chicken breast or thighs, cut into 1-in. chunks
  • 1  cup  sliced mushrooms
  • 1  tablespoon  fresh lime juice
  • 1  tablespoon  Thai or Vietnamese fish sauce (nuoc mam or nam pla)
  • 1  teaspoon  sugar
  • 1  teaspoon  Thai chili paste
  • 1/4  cup  fresh basil leaves
  • 1/4  cup  fresh cilantro

Preparation

In a medium saucepan, combine coconut milk, broth, ginger, and lemongrass and bring to boil over high heat. Add chicken, mushrooms, lime juice, fish sauce, sugar, and chili paste. Reduce heat and simmer until chicken is firm and opaque, 5 to 10 minutes. Discard lemongrass. Garnish servings with basil and cilantro.

Note: Nutritional analysis is per 1 1/2-cup serving.

Nutritional Information

Calories:
357 (63% from fat)
Protein:
29g
Fat:
25g (sat 19)
Carbohydrate:
7.2g
Fiber:
0.5g
Sodium:
484mg
Cholesterol:
79mg
Jiranooch Shapiro, Anchorage, AK, Sunset, DECEMBER 2008

Member Ratings and Reviews

5 stars
lardgal
This is a good base recipe for Tom Kha Gai. I like to make the base with the aromatics, then throughout the week, I reheat what I want to eat, adding chicken, tofu, shrimp, spinach, bok choy, or anything that sounds like a good addition. One pot can last me all week.01/19/10

5 stars
CowboyCook
This is a very good recipe. My wife loves it. Just two observations: 1. Since it calls for fish sauce, know that there can be a WIDE range of tastes in fish sauce. 2. This is just as good, if not better, with shrimp instead of the chicken.04/23/09