We believe a brilliant bowl of soup has the power to take you on a journey. On a chilly, damp day, what could be more delightful than escaping to the warm, bustling streets of Thailand? This is precisely the experience our Thai Coconut Chicken Soup Recipe offers. It’s a glorious medley of tastes—creamy coconut, zesty lime, fragrant spices, and a touch of heat—all coming together in a beautifully balanced broth. In Thailand, this dish is known as Tom Kha Gai, and it represents comfort food at its most exciting and flavourful. We’ve taken our time to get this recipe just right, making sure it’s packed with authentic flavour while being incredibly straightforward for you to cook at home. Put the takeaway menu aside; tonight, we’re creating a fragrant, heartwarming soup that will have everyone clamouring for more.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• A Sensational Taste Journey: We’ve carefully balanced the rich creaminess of coconut milk with the sharp tang of lime, the unique aroma of galangal and lemongrass, and a gentle warmth from red chilli. This creates a wonderfully complex and deeply satisfying thai coconut chicken soup that rivals any you’d find in a fine restaurant.
• Wonderfully Quick and Simple: This whole, flavour-packed meal is ready in a single pot in less than 30 minutes. It’s the ideal choice for a hectic weeknight when you’re craving something special without all the effort. Less time at the hob means more time savouring every spoonful!
• Wholesome and Feel-Good Ingredients: Filled with lean chicken breast, vibrant fresh vegetables, and aromatic herbs, this is a dish you can feel great about enjoying. This coconut milk soup is also naturally free from dairy and can be easily adapted to be gluten-free.
• Brilliantly Adaptable: Our thai soup recipe serves as a fantastic template for your own creativity. You can easily tweak the level of spice, substitute prawns or tofu for the chicken, or load it up with your favourite vegetables. We even have a fantastic tip for a slow cooker version!

Ingredients

For a truly exceptional Tom Kha Gai, using fresh and aromatic ingredients is paramount. While some items might seem a little unfamiliar, they are becoming much easier to find in larger supermarkets and Asian food shops. We promise that seeking them out pays off in the incredible depth of flavour they bring to the dish. And rest assured, we’ve suggested some handy substitutes where possible!

• 1 tbsp coconut oil (or vegetable oil)
• 500g skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 3 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 1-inch piece of galangal (or ginger), thinly sliced
• 2 stalks of lemongrass, tough outer layers removed, bruised and roughly chopped
• 1 to 2 red bird’s eye chillies, finely sliced (adjust to your spice preference)
• 2 tbsp Thai red curry paste
• 1 litre good-quality chicken stock
• 2 x 400ml tins of full-fat coconut milk
• 4-5 kaffir lime leaves, torn
• 200g mushrooms (chestnut or shiitake work well), sliced
• 1 red pepper, deseeded and thinly sliced
• 2 tbsp fish sauce (use tamari for a gluten-free option)
• 1 tbsp soft brown sugar (optional, to balance flavours)
• Juice of 1-2 limes
• A large handful of fresh coriander, roughly chopped
• 3 spring onions, finely sliced, for garnish

Instructions

Just follow these straightforward steps to craft what we think is the most fragrant and delectable coconut chicken soup. The real trick is to layer the flavours from the very beginning, starting with those wonderful aromatics.

1. Create the Fragrant Foundation: In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, warm the coconut oil over a medium heat. Tip in the minced garlic, sliced galangal, chopped lemongrass, and sliced chilli. Stir-fry for a minute or two until their beautiful aromas are released, making sure the garlic doesn’t catch.
2. Awaken the Curry Paste: Add the Thai red curry paste to the pan. Cook for one more minute, stirring continuously. This vital step helps to “awaken” the spices, unlocking their full fragrance and rich flavour.
3. Combine Chicken and Liquids: Introduce the chicken pieces to the pan, stirring to coat them in the aromatic paste. Pour in the chicken stock and the contents of both tins of coconut milk. Stir everything together thoroughly.
4. Infuse the Flavours: Add the torn kaffir lime leaves to the soup. Bring it to a gentle simmer before turning the heat down to low. Allow it to cook for 10-15 minutes, until the chicken is tender and cooked through. It’s important to avoid a rolling boil, which can cause the coconut milk to separate.
5. Add the Vegetables: Pop the sliced mushrooms and red pepper into the pot. Let them simmer for another 3-5 minutes, just long enough for the vegetables to become tender but still retain a slight crunch.
6. The Final Balancing Act: Take the pan off the heat. Now for the crucial finishing touches! Stir in the fish sauce, the optional soft brown sugar, and the juice of one lime. Have a taste. This is your moment to perfect the balance—does it need more saltiness (fish sauce), a sharper citrus note (lime), or a hint of sweetness (sugar)? Adjust as you see fit.
7. Serve and Garnish: Ladle the steaming soup into bowls. Top with a generous scattering of fresh coriander and sliced spring onions. For those who like extra heat, a few more fresh chilli slices can be added. Enjoy immediately on its own or with some fluffy jasmine rice on the side.

Tips, Tricks & Variations

While we adore this recipe just as it is, we also see it as a wonderful starting point for your own kitchen experiments! Here are some of our favourite ways to switch things up:

• Make it a Crockpot Chicken Soup: For a wonderfully low-effort meal, begin by sautéing the aromatics and curry paste on the hob as directed in steps 1 and 2. Scrape this mixture into your slow cooker, then add the chicken, stock, coconut milk, and kaffir lime leaves. Cook on the low setting for 4-5 hours or on high for 2-3 hours. Add your vegetables during the final 30 minutes of cooking, and stir through the fish sauce, sugar, and lime juice right at the end. For another simple chicken recipe, you might enjoy our Bang Bang Chicken Thighs.
• Protein Swaps: This soup is absolutely divine with king prawns. Simply add them in the last few minutes of cooking, until they turn perfectly pink. For a vegetarian or vegan alternative, use firm, pressed tofu (pan-fried until golden is lovely) and switch to vegetable stock and a vegan fish sauce substitute.
• Extra Veggies: Don’t hesitate to add more vegetables to the mix. Baby corn, mangetout, sliced bamboo shoots, and fresh spinach (wilted in at the very end) all make delicious additions.
• For Extra Creaminess: To achieve that truly luxurious, creamy texture, it’s essential to use full-fat coconut milk. The lighter versions just won’t provide the same richness or depth of flavour.

Frequently Asked Questions

And there you have it—a straightforward, stunning, and absolutely delicious Thai Coconut Chicken Soup that you can proudly create in your own kitchen. This recipe is proof that you don’t need to be a professional chef to whip up flavourful, world-class cuisine at home. It’s a comforting, warm embrace in a bowl, ideal for any day of the week. After savouring this wonderful soup, perhaps you’re in the mood for a little something sweet? Our simple Biscoff Truffles make for the perfect, easy-to-prepare dessert.

We genuinely hope you enjoy making and eating this recipe as much as we do. If you give it a go, we’d love to hear about it! Please drop a comment below or tag us in your pictures online. We’re always excited to see your culinary masterpieces.

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Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 20 mins
Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp coconut oil (or vegetable oil)
• 500g skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 3 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 1-inch piece of galangal (or ginger), thinly sliced
• 2 stalks of lemongrass, tough outer layers removed, bruised and roughly chopped
• 1 to 2 red bird’s eye chillies, finely sliced (adjust to your spice preference)
• 2 tbsp Thai red curry paste
• 1 litre good-quality chicken stock
• 2 x 400ml tins of full-fat coconut milk
• 4-5 kaffir lime leaves, torn
• 200g mushrooms (chestnut or shiitake work well), sliced
• 1 red pepper, deseeded and thinly sliced
• 2 tbsp fish sauce (use tamari for a gluten-free option)
• 1 tbsp soft brown sugar (optional, to balance flavours)
• Juice of 1-2 limes
• A large handful of fresh coriander, roughly chopped
• 3 spring onions, finely sliced, for garnish

Instructions

1. Create the Fragrant Foundation: In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, warm the coconut oil over a medium heat. Tip in the minced garlic, sliced galangal, chopped lemongrass, and sliced chilli. Stir-fry for a minute or two until their beautiful aromas are released, making sure the garlic doesn’t catch.
2. Awaken the Curry Paste: Add the Thai red curry paste to the pan. Cook for one more minute, stirring continuously. This vital step helps to “awaken” the spices, unlocking their full fragrance and rich flavour.
3. Combine Chicken and Liquids: Introduce the chicken pieces to the pan, stirring to coat them in the aromatic paste. Pour in the chicken stock and the contents of both tins of coconut milk. Stir everything together thoroughly.
4. Infuse the Flavours: Add the torn kaffir lime leaves to the soup. Bring it to a gentle simmer before turning the heat down to low. Allow it to cook for 10-15 minutes, until the chicken is tender and cooked through. It’s important to avoid a rolling boil, which can cause the coconut milk to separate.
5. Add the Vegetables: Pop the sliced mushrooms and red pepper into the pot. Let them simmer for another 3-5 minutes, just long enough for the vegetables to become tender but still retain a slight crunch.
6. The Final Balancing Act: Take the pan off the heat. Now for the crucial finishing touches! Stir in the fish sauce, the optional soft brown sugar, and the juice of one lime. Have a taste. This is your moment to perfect the balance—does it need more saltiness (fish sauce), a sharper citrus note (lime), or a hint of sweetness (sugar)? Adjust as you see fit.
7. Serve and Garnish: Ladle the steaming soup into bowls. Top with a generous scattering of fresh coriander and sliced spring onions. For those who like extra heat, a few more fresh chilli slices can be added. Enjoy immediately on its own or with some fluffy jasmine rice on the side.

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