Zoomed in image of a bowl of Tom Kha Gai.

Tom Kha Gai (Chicken Soup with Galangal)

This Asian coconut soup brings all the comfort with each spoonful. You will love the richness of this soup with its combination of spicy and sour that will have you coming back for seconds and thirds!

This recipe stars U.S.-grown jasmine rice and comes to us from our friend Anna of @annafatlowitz in partnership with USA Rice and thefeedfeed.

  • Servings
    4
  • Serving Size
    1 bowl
  • Prep Time
    15 min
  • Cook Time
    30 min
  • Total Time
    45 min

Ingredients

  • 8 cups unsalted chicken stock
  • 2 pounds chicken wings, wingettes and drumettes separated
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 cup full-fat coconut milk
  • 3 stalks lemongrass, peeled and pounded with the back of a knife, cut into 2” pieces
  • 10 slices galangal
  • 6 kaffir lime leaves, roughly torn
  • 5 Thai chilies, sliced into ½” pieces (add more or less depending on your spice level)
  • 2 tablespoons fish sauce (gluten-free if necessary), divided
  • 1 teaspoon palm sugar, melted
  • 3 ounces oyster mushrooms, torn into pieces
  • 2½ tablespoons lime juice
  • handful cilantro, chopped
  • 4 cups cooked jasmine rice

Directions

  • Bring chicken broth to a boil in a large pot and add chicken wings. Add salt and reduce to a simmer for 20 minutes. Skim off any fat that accumulates on top of the broth.
  • Add coconut milk, lemongrass, galangal, kaffir lime leaves, Thai chilies, 1 tablespoon fish sauce, and palm sugar and stir to combine. Return to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for 3-5 minutes.
  • Add mushrooms and cook for 1-2 minutes until cooked through.
  • Taste and season with more fish sauce as needed. Turn off heat and add lime juice.
  • Serve broth over rice, then top with cilantro. Squeeze more lime juice on top, if desired.

Recipe Notes

As it's a key ingredient in tom kha gai, galangal cannot be substituted with ginger. Galangal has a sharp citrusy, almost piney flavor, which is quite different from ginger.

It’s common to leave the lemongrass, galangal, and kaffir lime leaves in the soup, but don’t eat them!

You will need to melt the palm sugar in the microwave or on the stovetop with a little water before measuring.