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Easy Weeknight Thai Coconut Chicken Soup (Tom Kha Gai)

Close-up of a white bowl filled with creamy coconut soup featuring shredded chicken, mushrooms, and topped generously with fresh chopped parsley.
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Make this creamy, aromatic Thai Coconut Chicken Soup, Tom Kha Gai, on a busy weeknight. This recipe delivers comforting, authentic flavor simply.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 tablespoons coconut oil
  • 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs, sliced thin
  • 1 large shallot, thinly sliced
  • 2 inches fresh ginger, sliced into coins
  • 2 stalks lemongrass, tough outer layers removed, bruised with the back of a knife, and cut into 2-inch pieces
  • 4 cloves garlic, smashed
  • 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 6 cups chicken stock
  • 1 (13.5 ounce) can full-fat coconut milk
  • 2 tablespoons fish sauce (or tamari for vegan/vegetarian)
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar (or keto sweetener substitute)
  • 1/2 cup sliced mushrooms (cremini or shiitake)
  • Juice of 1 lime
  • 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped, for garnish
  • Optional: Sliced red chili for heat

Instructions

  1. Heat the coconut oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the sliced chicken and cook until lightly browned, about 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the chicken and set it aside.
  2. Add the sliced shallot, ginger coins, lemongrass pieces, smashed garlic, and turmeric to the pot. Sauté for 3 minutes until fragrant.
  3. Pour in the chicken stock, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Bring the mixture to a simmer.
  4. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and let the broth infuse for 15 minutes. This builds the aromatic base for your Thai Coconut Soup.
  5. Strain the broth through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean pot or back into the original pot, discarding the solids (ginger, lemongrass, garlic, shallot).
  6. Return the strained broth to low heat. Stir in the full-fat coconut milk, fish sauce, and brown sugar. Stir until the sugar dissolves.
  7. Add the cooked chicken and the sliced mushrooms to the soup. Simmer gently for 5 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and the mushrooms are tender. Do not boil.
  8. Remove the pot from the heat. Stir in the fresh lime juice. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding more fish sauce for saltiness or sugar for balance.
  9. Ladle the Creamy Coconut Soup into bowls. Garnish generously with fresh cilantro and sliced chili, if using.

Notes

  • For a Vegan Coconut Soup, substitute the chicken with 1 block of pressed, cubed extra-firm tofu and use vegetable broth instead of chicken stock.
  • To make this Keto Coconut Soup, skip the brown sugar and use a keto-approved sweetener equivalent to 1 tablespoon of sugar.
  • For a Whole30 adaptation, ensure your fish sauce is compliant, omit the brown sugar, and use compliant chicken stock.
  • If you want a richer flavor, use only the thick cream from the top of the coconut milk can for the last 5 minutes of simmering, reserving the watery part for another use.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://daisyrecipe.com/easy-weeknight-coconut-soup-tom-kha-gai/