Tom Yum Goong Chicken

[Rosicler Kleckner]

Tomyum goong maybe the most famous soup of Thailand, but its milder creamier sister, tom kha gai, is my personal favourite. This comforting Thai coconut chicken soup recipe is infused with the classic Thai herbs: lemongrass, galangal, and makrut (kaffir) lime leaves. It's so easy yet so loveable that when someone asks, "I'm new to Thai food, what should I try/make first?" Tom kha gai is my answer.

Tom kha gai, which is sometimes spelled tom ka gai, is one of the most popular soups amongst Thai food lovers. Tom means to boil, kha means galangal, and gai means chicken. So it's a chicken soup whose main flavour comes from galangal, but another key component not mentioned in the soup is coconut milk.

Tom kha gai soup is available at nearly every Thai restaurant overseas, but because it's such an easy recipe, it's a dish that's perfect for simple weeknight home cooking. Though chicken is the original version, you can make tom kha using other proteins. Typically in Thailand, alternative proteins are fish or seafood, as they pair best with the flavour profile of tom kha soup.

Here are all the ingredients for my tom kha gai recipe. There aren't that many, but each one is critical to the flavour of the soup. Kha refers to the galangal, so that's the one ingredient that's an absolute must and cannot be substituted.

Here's a bird's eye view of how to make tom kha gai, but to ensure success, be sure to watch the video tutorial in the recipe card below as it's always good to see how it's done, and I often include extra tips you don't want to miss!

This recipe is a crowd pleaser every time! We follow your tip to keep the freezer stocked with frozen Thai style stock, galangal coins, and lemon grass. This sets us up to be able to make Tom Kha Gui for an easy (and quickly devoured) weeknight dinner. Thank you!!!

Would this work from Amazon? Soeos Galangal Slices 6 Ounces, Non-GMO Verified, Kosher, Great Galangal - Alpinia Galanga, Perfect for Tom Yum and Tom Kha Soups, Authentic Product of Vietnam, Sliced Dried Galangal Root, 6oz. Thank you!

Do the lime leaves lose their flavor if cooked for too long? My dish has been lacking that freshly limey flavor sometimes and I think it's because I've occasionally been leaving it to simmer for much too long.

Yes, I think it's definitely part of it. It only takes a few minutes to get the flavour out, and the longer you simmer, the more the aroma exits into the air (and you can smell it) and if it's in the air then it's no longer in your pot ?

This was so good! I made it for a friend whose favorite Thai dish it is. I really wanted it to turn out well, and when I tasted it just a bit before the end of completion, I was really disappointed at how coconut-milky it was. Three minutes later, the flavors had all infused and she and everyone else declared it to be perfect. It's super easy, too, so as long as I have the specialty ingredients I know I can make it fast. I did wrap the galangal and lemon grass in cheesecloth so that we would not have to pick them out while eating, and that was a good strategy. I am excited about trying more recipes on your blog, as I have rarely been successful making Thai food that was authentic-tasting. Thank you!

Hi Pai! What might cause bitterness in the Tom Kha? I used frozen galangal and lemongrass stalks (both products of Thailand) from my Asian market. Could it be the lemongrass? Is there some prep step you need when using the frozen stalks?

I didn't find galangal or lime leaves, but I did discover a Tom Ka paste next to the Thai curry pastes in the Asian market. Is this paste acceptable, or a tragedy? I bought it... but there are still more shops I can check, too.

I haven't seen tom ka paste myself so I can't say...but it's probably worth at least giving it a try since you have it. But then you couldn't use the measurements in this recipe because the paste probably includes seasonings of its own, so just keep that it mind.

Delish! I added the ingredients according to the list and not the directions and it still came out amazing. It's been years since I've made this and couldn't find my old recipe. Glad I found this!

Could only get dried galangal - hard as a rock, but it works. Any suggestion as to how much to use? Had to split up the pieces by hitting a screw driver with a hammer, so thin slices not possible.

Hi, I was unable to find any lime leaves, but did find mandarin with leaves attached. Will these work, or should I omit the leaves all together? Thanks in advance! Looking forward to cooking this tomorrow.

Hi Rachel, unfortunately other kinds of citrus leaves do not work as a substitute. Leaving the lime leaves out...the soup will still taste good, but it will not taste the way it "should" because the lime leaves provide a key flavour, so I would encourage you to look for them at least in dried or frozen forms!

Marinate chicken breast in a tablespoon of fish sauce while you prep. Skip the simmering of the chicken in the beginning and omit the salt, then add the breast in the soup at the very end, cooking only for 1-2 minutes or so until the pieces are cooked through. Then add more salt to taste. Hope this makes sense ?

If I only have dried kaffir lime leaves, should I put them in whole or grind them into powder first? Do I need to take out the stems if I put them in whole? How many dried leaves should I use? And thank you for your wonderful authentic recipes!! Your instructions are so easy to follow and I love how you explain everything!

Hi, Pailin, I have been following your YT videos for months and love all of them. For this soup, can I replcae chicken with something like shrimps? If so, how much cooking time would you recommend for your step 1? 15-20 mins seem a bit long for cooking shrimps.

I love Tom Kha and have tried many recipes. This is by far the best and I now use this recipe exclusively. I prefer to use homemade chicken only using garlic (the American version with carrots, celery, etc adds too much western flavor). I wanted to ask about the infusion time. I always feel like 5 min is too short. Would you set me straight on this? Thanks for all the great recipes!

Hi Matt, so glad to hear you love it! With these herbs, traditionally they're always infused only for a few minutes, and I find I get the flavours I need in that time, plus the remaining time on the stove with cooking the mushrooms of course. You can do it for longer if you're not sure, it's not going to hurt it, but just watch your liquid volume as you'll be losing more due to evaporation.

I wonder is there a 101 on rhizomes?

In this particular case can I substitute krachai for galangal? Are galangal and krachai more similar to each other than they are to ginger? While these things are not on obtainable in Western Europe they are rather expensive. So if I can cut down on the number of ingredients that keep in the fridge or freezer that's a good thing. If however that would be detrimental to the taste of the dish I'd rather go whole hog.

Tom Yum may be the most world renowned Thai soup, but to me, Tom Ka got my love even more, so comforting and satisfying. I usually don't just eat it straight up as a soup, but turn it into a noodle soup, equally good.

Hi! You'd probably need a little bit less because the broth won't have time to evaporate, so start with 1.5 and and you can add more if it tastes too strong at the end. Add the seafood at the very end, cook it just a few mins until done and turn off.

Chicken Tortilla Soup is my favorite comforting chicken soup. It's loaded with flavor and spices, the broth is part creamy and part chunky and topped with an assortment of goodies. Bonus, it can be batched ahead for any days you need a comforting lunch or dinner!

Step 2: Cook until the onion is see-through and the jalapeo is soft. Then add salt, pepper, dried oregano, cumin and chipotle pepper. Stir until it is all mixed together and cook for 1-2 minutes more.

Step 3: Add fire roasted tomatoes and chicken stock to the pan and wait until it boils. Then turn down the heat so it is just simmering and let it simmer for 30 minutes without stirring.

Step 5 (optional): In a small skillet, heat the vegetable oil over medium high heat. Once hot, add the tortilla strips in a single layer, frying quickly for about 30-45 seconds, flipping them once to ensure both sides get crisp. Remove the tortillas once crisp with a pair of tongs and transfer them to a paper towel lined plate to dry.

Step 6: Once everything is added, taste it to see if you need to add more salt or pepper before dividing into 4 bowls equally. Top with cheese, avocado, cilantro, crisp tortilla strips, lime juice, and jalapeo slices.

If you prefer to freeze this soup, you can transfer it to a tightly sealed container and freeze for up to 4-5 months. When you're read to eat, you can reheat by placing it in a saucepan on medium-low heat or place in the microwave until warm.

I made a video for yeonggye-baeksuk when I travelled to Costa Rica in 2010 (woohoo! Time flies!) but I figured it was time to update and refine this recipe with exact measurements and film a new HD video for it. In that video I focused on the chicken soup, which is called dakjuk in Korean, but really this dish is all about the chicken we eat and the soup.

My monthly letter to my readers includes my recipe roundup, funny and touching stories, upcoming events, reader comments and photos of what you guys are cooking! It's delivered the first day of every month.

Glad I finally got to try out this recipe and that I had some leftover chicken legs on hand. I think I did pretty well for my first time, came out a little bit thicker than I wanted but I just added more water to thin it out. And I left the chicken in the porridge instead of on the side because to be honest I was feeling a little bit lazy after 2 hours of work. But it turned out fine! Next time I will definitely have it on the side with dipping sauce and kimchi. Thank you for such a simple recipe.

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