Thai coconut chicken soup
40 min · 27 g protein · 237 cals / serving
A tom kha-style soup that Canadians order at every Thai counter: lemongrass, ginger and lime in a fragrant coconut broth, with plenty of chicken, mushrooms and tomatoes. Light coconut milk and a red curry paste base keep all the fragrance with a lighter broth.
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp thai curry paste, red
- a 5 cm (2-inch) piece ginger, thinly sliced
- 2 stalks lemongrass, cut in 5 cm (2-inch) lengths and bruised
- 3 cloves garlic, sliced
- 1.25 liters (5 cups) chicken broth, low-sodium
- 1 can (400 ml) light coconut milk, unshaken
- 600 g (1 1/3 lb) chicken breast, in thin bite-size slices
- 250 g (1/2 lb) oyster mushroom, torn (or sliced white mushrooms)
- 325 ml (1 1/3 cups) grape tomatoes, halved
- 2 tbsp fish sauce
- juice of 2 lime
- 1 tsp brown sugar
To finish
- a handful fresh cilantro, chopped
- 3 green onions, sliced
- a pinch red pepper flakes, or sliced Thai chili (optional)
Steps
- Spoon the thick top of the coconut milk (about 1/4 cup) into a large pot over medium heat and let it bubble 1 minute. Add the curry paste, ginger, lemongrass and garlic and fry, stirring, for 2 minutes, until very fragrant.
- Pour in the broth and the rest of the coconut milk, bring to a gentle simmer, and let it infuse 10 minutes. Keep it below a full boil so the coconut milk stays smooth.
- Add the chicken, mushrooms and tomatoes and simmer 6–8 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through to 165°F and the mushrooms are tender.
- Take the pot off the heat and stir in the fish sauce, lime juice and brown sugar. Taste and balance: more lime for sour, fish sauce for salt, a pinch more sugar if it is sharp. Fish out the lemongrass, then serve topped with cilantro and green onion, with chili flakes for anyone who wants heat.
Good to know
Do I eat the lemongrass and ginger?
The lemongrass, no; it is there for flavor and is too woody to chew, so lift it out before serving. Thin ginger slices are fine to eat, or leave them at the side of the bowl.
Can I use galangal and lime leaves?
Yes, and they make it closer to Thai tom kha. Swap the ginger for the same weight of galangal and add 4 torn makrut lime leaves with the broth.
How spicy is it?
Mild to medium, depending on the curry paste brand. Start with 1 tbsp of paste if you are unsure, and add more at the end.
Alternatives
Per
- Calories
- 53
- Protein
- (46%)
- 6 g
- Fat
- (35%)
- 2 g
- Carbohydrates
- (19%)
- 3 g
- of which sugar
- 1 g
- Fiber
- 1 g
- Sodium
- 305 mg
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Computed from the ingredients with our published formula, not yet kitchen-tested. General guidance, not medical advice. Talk to your prescriber. How
As written, 1423 kcal goes into the pot and 2909 g of ingredients comes out as about 2700 g of food: 53 kcal per 100 g. Cooking moves water and energy density is the score's biggest lever, so the dish is scored as cooked, not as an average of its parts. Every ingredient links to its food page, with the same data and score. The label's percentages are each macronutrient's share of the calories. The full formula.