Thai Coconut Chicken Soup (Tom Kha Gai)
With super tender, melt-in-your-mouth chicken and a silky smooth sauce loaded with fresh veggies and tons of bright, fresh flavor, this Thai Coconut Chicken Soup ticks all the boxes!
Ingredients
For the soup:
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 large sweet onion roughly chopped
- 1 large yellow bell pepper roughly chopped
- 3 medium cloves garlic
- 2 tablespoons finely grated fresh ginger
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped lemongrass or lemongrass paste
- 1 tablespoon Thai red curry paste more to taste
- 5 cups low sodium chicken broth maybe more
- 27 ounces coconut milk (regular or light) (I use 2 13.5-ounce cans)
- 2-3 medium potatoes peeled and roughly chopped (around 14 ounces, before peeling)
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce (I like Red Boat)
- 1¼ teaspoons kosher salt more to taste
For the chicken:
- 3-4 medium boneless skinless chicken breasts 1¼-1 ½ pounds - 567-680g (cut in half, lengthwise and thinly sliced about ⅛-inch thick)
- 1 egg white (from 1 large egg)
- 2 teaspoons corn starch
- 2 teaspoons rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
For serving:
- lime wedges
- fresh cilantro basil, Thai basil and/or mint leaves
- sugar snap peas optional (see notes below)
- see the post above for other serving options
Instructions
For the soup and chicken:
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In a large (5-6 quart) Dutch oven or soup pot, heat the coconut oil and butter over medium heat. Add the onion and yellow bell pepper and sauté until the onion is softened and translucent. Add the garlic, ginger, lemongrass and red curry paste and cook for another minute until fragrant.
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Add the chicken broth, coconut milk, potatoes, sugar, fish sauce and salt. Bring to a boil and cook, uncovered, for 25 minutes or until the potatoes are very tender.
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Using an immersion blender or a regular blender, puree the broth mixture until nice and smooth. (If using a regular blender, let the broth cool for a bit and be sure to vent the top to prevent the heat from building up in the blender container and causing an explosion.)
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Taste the pureed broth. Add more salt if needed. If you like things a little spicier, you can add more Thai red curry paste.
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While the broth is simmering prepare the chicken by combining the egg white, cornstarch, rice vinegar and oil in a medium size bowl. Add the thinly sliced chicken and stir well to coat. Allow the chicken to marinate for 20 minutes.
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After the chicken has marinated for 20 minutes, bring the pureed broth to a low simmer. Add the chicken and stir well to separate the pieces. Allow the broth to return to a simmer (don’t let it boil vigorously) then cover the pot tightly and turn off the heat. Allow the soup to sit, undisturbed for 10 minutes, then serve and enjoy.
For serving:
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There are lots of serving options. We like to serve it with basmati rice (as pictured), lots of fresh herbs and lime wedges. See the post above for other serving options.
Recipe Notes
See Café Tips above in the post for more detailed instructions and tips to ensure success.
If you prefer to use Metric measurements there is a button in each of our recipes, right above the word “Instructions”. Just click that button to toggle to grams, milliliters, etc. If you ever come across one of our recipes that doesn't have the Metric conversion (some of the older recipes may not), feel free to leave a comment and I will add it.
If I use sugar snap peas as a garnish/topping for this soup, I simply slice them diagonally and microwave them for 1 minute then rinse under cold water to stop the cooking.