This creamy Tom Kha Gai recipe (Thai coconut chicken soup) showcases the magic of Thai cuisine! It’s a perfect harmony of sweet, tangy, and savory flavors with a rich coconut milk base, chicken for protein, and fresh, bright herbs and aromatics. Additionally, the best part is that it whips up in just 30 minutes!
Add the chicken broth, garlic, galangal (or ginger), shallot, lemongrass, Thai chili, tamari sauce, fish sauce, and coconut sugar to a 3-quart pot over high heat. Bring to a boil.
Once boiling, stir in the coconut milk, chicken, red bell pepper, mushrooms, and kaffir lime leaves (if using). Bring back up to a boil, and then boil for 3 minutes, or until the chicken is fully cooked.
Remove from the heat and stir in the scallion, cilantro, and fresh lime juice.
Serve topped with any garnishes you like.
Notes
Net Carbs: 11g per serving
Tangy Flavor: This soup has a bright tartness thanks to the fresh lime juice added at the end. If you aren't sure if you'll enjoy the tangy flavor, start with 2 tablespoons of fresh lime juice and add more to taste. Personally, the tanginess is one of the things I love most about this soup!
Fish Sauce: Instead of using 1 ½ tablespoons of fish sauce, this recipe uses 1 tablespoon of tamari sauce and ½ tablespoon of fish sauce. For the authentic version like I had in Thailand, omit the tamari sauce and use 1 ½ tablespoons of fish sauce (or more to taste).
Kaffir Lime Leaves: Look for these at your local Asian grocery store. If you can’t find them, you can instead add ½ teaspoon freshly-grated lime zest along with the lime juice for a similar flavor.
Thai Bird’s Eye Chilies: Look for these at your local Asian grocery store. If you can’t find them, you can instead use ground cayenne pepper or crushed red pepper flakes to taste.
Gluten Free Version: Use tamari sauce or coconut aminos (not soy sauce).
Paleo and Whole30 Versions: To make this paleo, use coconut aminos (not tamari sauce or soy sauce). And for the Whole30 version, use coconut aminos and omit the coconut sugar.