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Tom Kha Gai Soup Recipe (ต้มข่าไก่) – Authentic Thai Coconut Soup With Galangal
Enjoy this Tom Kha Gai soup.. it’s truly an amazing dish and Thai recipe to make.
Ling nails it and every single time I honestly think it’s the best Tom Kha I’ve ever had. So each time it’s the best Tom Ka and it always gets better. It defies logic.
About The Tom Kha Gai Recipe Ingredients
As long as you have all the essential ingredients, then it’s not a difficult recipe to nail down.
Some of the ingredients are semi optional (like having 3 types of mushroom). You should try to get at least 2 types of mushroom though. The Kaffir lime leaves don’t have to be fresh, but a truly authentic Tom Kha Gai (ต้มข่าไก่) soup recipe will always use freshly plucked Kaffir lime leaves considering the tree grows plentiful in the country this dish originates from.
If you can get some sent to you soon after getting plucked, that would be better than buying a bag of dried Kaffir lime leaves, however I’m sure the flavor will be just as great if you do opt for the dried Kaffir lime leaves. As long as you include them, that’s the most important part.
Same with galangal. If you can get a young portion of the root, it becomes soft and when soaked in the Tom Ka coconut soup broth chewing into the normally hard galangal root when young and soft is one of the many things that will win you over and make this a memorable dish for you or anyone you cook it for.
Here are the online purchasing options for these sometimes-hard-to-attain ingredients in the west:
The Tom Kha Mushrooms
We use three different types of mushrooms:
- Straw Mushrooms
- Oyster Mushrooms
- What-you-have-in-the-fridge Mushrooms
Oyster mushrooms (hed fang เห็ดฟาง) are often used in Tom Ka in Thailand, but really it’s an ingredient that isn’t strict and so many cycle through different types of mushrooms and all the variations of the Tom Ka would still taste perfect and be 100% authentic. Normally whatever is in season or locally available at any given time will be used, rather than have to import or order anything. Local markets here often will have oyster mushroom available year-round though.
Here is the printable Tom Ka soup recipe card:
Tom Kha Gai Soup Recipe
Equipment
- Cooking pot
Ingredients
- 2 whole chicken drumsticks with skin
- 5 cups coconut milk Aroy-D or similar
- 1 cup water
- 4 stalks lemongrass fresh if attaining it is possible
- 1 whole galangal root young, fresh galangal root preferred
- 1 whole ginger root fresh sliced root preferred
- 2 whole white onion medium-sized
- 2 whole tomatoes thick slices
- 4 whole shallots sliced
- 80 grams straw mushroom
- 150 grams oyster mushroom
- 80 grams mushroom third mushroom of choice (optional)
- 4 whole Thai Red Bird chilies at least a few..
- 5 tbsp lime juice freshly squeezed
- 3 whole coriander sprigs, chopped
- 4 whole culantro chopped
- 4 whole Thai parsley chopped
- 10 whole Kaffir Lime leaves fresh preferred
- 3 grams sea salt
Instructions
- Put coconut milk in the pot over medium heat & with chopped off coriander roots
- Chop the lemongrass and galangal and put those in the pot next
- Slice the shallots, then put those in the pot
- Wait until the coconut milk starts to boil, then add the chicken drumsticks
- After a few minutes of the chicken cooking, add in water and a pinch of salt
- Prep the rest of the ingredients: chop mushrooms, tomatoes, Thai parsley and the chilies
- Wait until the chicken is nearly cooked in the pot, then put all you just chopped and sliced in the pot
- Let these cook a few minutes then just before turning off the flame, add the Kaffir lime leaf, Thai parsley and Coriander leaf
- Last step: IN EACH BOWL the Tom Kha is being served in, put your sliced chilies in and squeeze the fresh lime juice in. These are the "garnish" but you don't want to put them in the cooking pot as it would lessen the proper flavor.
Video
Notes
Next Recipe: An Authentic Thai Panang Curry Recipe
Last update on 2026-02-24 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
I like how Tom Kha Gai can be enjoyed on its own or with rice. It’s versatile and filling without feeling too heavy or rich.
Exactly! I often eat it without rice and for my sons I’ll add the rice. It’s just as good either way. But the rice addition does add a nice combo and makes the rice soooo good:):) thanks for commenting and sorry for the late response! John