Tom Kha: Thai Coconut Soup with Chicken, Mushrooms and Lemongrass
Inspired by techniques from Serious Eats and NYT Cooking.
Chicken thigh and mushrooms simmered in a galangal and lemongrass broth, softened with coconut milk and finished with lime, fish sauce and fresh chilli.
Always check the labels of the products you use.
Method
- 1
Infuse the broth. Combine the stock, water, galangal, lemongrass and shallots in the saucepan and bring to the boil. Cover and keep at a gentle simmer for 10 min. Bruised lemongrass and sliced galangal release their oils slowly, so this short steep builds the soup's perfume before anything else goes in.
- 2
Cook the chicken. Add the chicken pieces and bring back to a gentle simmer. Cook for 10-12 min, skimming off any grey foam, until the thickest piece reads 74 °C on the thermometer. A soft simmer keeps thigh meat juicy rather than stringy.
- 3
Add the mushrooms. Drop in the mushrooms and simmer for 3 min, just until they turn soft and glossy.
- 4
Stir in the coconut. Pour in the coconut milk, then add the lime leaves and chillies. Heat for about 2 min until the surface barely trembles. Hard boiling can make coconut milk separate into oily flecks, so keep the heat low.
- 5
Balance off the heat. Take the pan off the heat and stir in the fish sauce, lime juice and sugar. Taste and adjust: the soup should be sour, salty and creamy in equal measure. Adding lime off the heat keeps it bright instead of bitter.
- 6
Serve. Ladle into warm bowls, scatter over the coriander and offer lime wedges. Galangal and lemongrass pieces are there for flavour only, so leave them at the side of the bowl.
Storage
Cool quickly and keep covered in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat gently until piping hot (74 °C), without boiling hard. Freezing is not recommended, as the coconut milk can turn grainy. Cool leftovers in a shallow container and refrigerate within 2 hours (within 1 hour on a day above 32°C).
Equipment
- large saucepan with a lid
- instant-read thermometer
- slotted spoon
- ladle
Nutrition per serving (estimated values)
| Per serving | Amount |
|---|---|
| Energy | 387 kcal |
| Protein | 29.5 g |
| Carbohydrate | 10.3 g |
| of which sugars | 3.7 g |
| of which free sugars | 1.4 g |
| Fat | 26.9 g |
| of which saturates | 20.3 g |
| Fibre | 1 g |
| Salt | 2.37 g |
Protein per 100 kcal
7.6 g High Protein needs ≥ 10 g
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient values
