By Becky Hardin
Published Aug 15, 2023
Thai Coconut Chicken Soup is healthy, easy, and so delicious! This creamy Thai chicken soup recipe is made with coconut milk, cilantro, mushrooms, chicken, tomato, and chiles. So much flavor in such an easy soup recipe!
What’s in this Tom Kha Gai Recipe?
This creamy coconut chicken soup is great for a change on sick days, but it’s just as good when you’re not sick. If you’re a fan of Thai food, you’ll just love the flavors here. Plus it only takes 30 minutes to make! Easy dinner alert!
- Chicken Stock: I highly recommend using stock, but in a pinch, chicken broth will do.
- Coconut Milk: Whole-fat coconut milk will make it extra creamy, or use a lite version.
- Lemongrass Paste: Lemongrass is great for your immune system and can aid in lowering cholesterol.
- Ginger Paste: Traditional tom kha gai is made with galangal , but that can be hard to find, so we’re using ginger paste instead. Ginger is anti-inflammatory and can help with cardiovascular and digestive health. It’s also a great thing to use to fight the common cold.
- Cilantro: This gets mixed into the soup and used as a garnish (I love cilantro!).
- Lime Juice: This bit of acidic citrus flavor brightens the whole soup.
- Serrano Chilis: If you can find Thai chilis, those work even better! Remove the seeds and chop finely. This adds that bit of spice!
- White Button Mushrooms: Filled with antioxidants!
- Shredded Chicken : Cook before adding to the soup (I just used rotisserie chicken for ease).
- Brown Sugar: Adds the perfect level of sweetness.
Pro Tip: Garnish this soup with halved cherry tomatoes, fresh cilantro, and a few shakes of hot sauce!
Variations on Coconut Chicken Soup
For a vegetarian or vegan version of this Thai coconut soup, swap out the chicken stock for vegetable stock and leave out the shredded chicken. You can add more mushrooms or other veggies to beef up the soup a bit more.
Tom kha gai is made with coconut milk and chicken, whereas tom yum is made with a seasoned, spicy broth and shrimp.
Yes! This soup is packed with healthy fats, vitamins, minerals, and protein!
It sure is! Ginger, lemongrass, and cilantro have particularly high anti-inflammatory effects.
Lemongrass paste is a specialty food item, but you may find it in your local grocery store in the produce aisle near the clamshells of herbs. It usually comes in a tube. I used Gourmet Garden brand, which I have seen at Walmart and Target.
Coconut milk reacts to heat and forms little curds. To help prevent this, you can temper the mixture by adding a ladleful of the hot soup to the coconut milk, stirring well, then adding that mixture back into the hot soup. You can also take the soup off of the heat and let it cool for a few minutes before adding the coconut milk.
How to Store and Reheat
Store leftover Thai coconut chicken soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in a pot set over medium-low heat or in the microwave in 30-second bursts until warmed through.
How to Freeze
Freezing any soup with milk/cream in it can be iffy, even coconut milk Will it ruin it? Maybe not completely. But will it be quite the same? No.
My recommendation is to make the soup as instructed, but leave out the coconut milk. Freeze the soup in an airtight container for up to 3 months, let thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then stir in the coconut milk while it simmers on the stove.
Serving Suggestions
This soup is so light and nourishing. It’s great served with drunken noodles , jasmine rice or an Asian cucumber salad . I enjoy dipping naan bread or dinner rolls into mine to soak up all that delicious broth.
Ingredients1x2x3x
- ▢ 8 cups chicken stock
- ▢ ¼ cup fresh cilantro chopped, plus more for garnish
- ▢ 3 tablespoons lime juice (from 2 limes)
- ▢ 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ▢ 1 tablespoon lemongrass paste Gourmet Garden brand recommended
- ▢ 1 tablespoon ginger paste Gourmet Garden brand recommended
- ▢ 1 serrano chili seeds removed and finely chopped
- ▢ 1 cup white button mushrooms sliced
- ▢ 3 cups cooked and shredded chicken (I used rotisserie chicken)
- ▢ 14 ounces coconut milk (1 can)
- ▢ 1 tablespoon brown sugar
For Garnish (optional)
- ▢ Cherry tomatoes halved
- ▢ Fresh cilantro
- ▢ Hot sauce
Video
Instructions
- Heat the chicken stock, cilantro, lime juice, salt, lemongrass, ginger, and chili in a 6-quart dutch oven or large stock pot over medium-high heat. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer, cooking for 15 minutes 8 cups chicken stock, ¼ cup fresh cilantro, 3 tablespoons lime juice, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1 tablespoon lemongrass paste, 1 tablespoon ginger paste, 1 serrano chili
- Add the mushrooms and chicken, stirring to combine. Simmer for 5 minutes, or until chicken is fully heated through. 1 cup white button mushrooms, 3 cups cooked and shredded chicken
- Stir in the coconut milk and brown sugar, stirring until everything is fully combined and smooth. 1 tablespoon brown sugar, 14 ounces coconut milk
- Simmer until ready to serve, topping with cherry tomatoes, cilantro, and hot sauce (optional) Cherry tomatoes, Fresh cilantro, Hot sauce
Equipment
- Dutch Oven
Becky’s Tips
- I highly recommend using chicken stock over chicken broth in this recipe.
- If you’re not a fan of cilantro, you can try using parsley instead, but the flavor will be different.
- Add the coconut milk slowly and off the heat to help prevent curdling.
- Nutritional information does not include optional garnishes.
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
More Chicken Soup Recipes We Love
- Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup
- Creamy Chicken Soup
- Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
- White Chicken Lasagna Soup
- Chicken Taco Soup
- Pesto Chicken Tortellini Soup
- Chicken Gnocchi Soup
- White Wine Chicken Stew
- Chicken Pot Pie Soup
Thai Coconut Chicken Soup Recipe (Tom Kha Gai)
Equipment
- Dutch Oven
Ingredients
- 8 cups chicken stock
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro chopped, plus more for garnish
- 3 tablespoons lime juice (from 2 limes)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon lemongrass paste Gourmet Garden brand recommended
- 1 tablespoon ginger paste Gourmet Garden brand recommended
- 1 serrano chili seeds removed and finely chopped
- 1 cup white button mushrooms sliced
- 3 cups cooked and shredded chicken (I used rotisserie chicken)
- 14 ounces coconut milk (1 can)
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
For Garnish (optional)
- Cherry tomatoes halved
- Fresh cilantro
- Hot sauce
Instructions
- Heat the chicken stock, cilantro, lime juice, salt, lemongrass, ginger, and chili in a 6-quart dutch oven or large stock pot over medium-high heat. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer, cooking for 15 minutes 8 cups chicken stock, ¼ cup fresh cilantro, 3 tablespoons lime juice, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1 tablespoon lemongrass paste, 1 tablespoon ginger paste, 1 serrano chili
- Add the mushrooms and chicken, stirring to combine. Simmer for 5 minutes, or until chicken is fully heated through. 1 cup white button mushrooms, 3 cups cooked and shredded chicken
- Stir in the coconut milk and brown sugar, stirring until everything is fully combined and smooth. 1 tablespoon brown sugar, 14 ounces coconut milk
- Simmer until ready to serve, topping with cherry tomatoes, cilantro, and hot sauce (optional) Cherry tomatoes, Fresh cilantro, Hot sauce
Video
Notes
- I highly recommend using chicken stock over chicken broth in this recipe.
- If you’re not a fan of cilantro, you can try using parsley instead, but the flavor will be different.
- Add the coconut milk slowly and off the heat to help prevent curdling.
- Nutritional information does not include optional garnishes.
Nutrition
By Becky Hardin
Published Jul 12, 2017
This Essential Grocery List is an absolute life saver for my family on the busy weeks. When I started this journey to learn how to cook, I quickly realized that the first step in cooking is having staple ingredients on hand. I want to avoid having to run out to the grocery store every single time I prepare a new recipe. Having a well-stocked pantry has made my life in the kitchen so much simpler, because when it’s time to cook, I have what I need.
Essential Grocery List
It’s so helpful to have a basic grocery list to help me remember which foods to buy at the store. This food shopping list is my go-to!
It’s better to stock up on things like grains, seasonings and spices, baking essentials, oils, condiments, canned and frozen foods, etc. so I can just grab them when I need them. These things have a long shelf life , so I keep them in my kitchen for convenience.
However, I do have to go to the supermarket sometimes, and there’s a way to make that trip easy and hassle-free: I keep a grocery list! If I go in blindly, I’ll leave with things I don’t need, and nothing that actually helps me prepare a good meal.
In the list below, I’ve compiled everything I always have on my stock-up grocery list.
I’ve got you covered! I created an easy grocery list filled with all of the essentials. Plus there’s a free printable version that you can take with you to the grocery store. It has everything you need to stock your pantry, your freezer, and your refrigerator.
Click to get my Free Printable Grocery List
What to Buy at the Grocery Store
This is the perfect grocery list filled with all the basics and essentials. It should help get you going if you’re new to cooking, or if you’re just left staring helplessly at an empty pantry and don’t know how to fill it.
When I first started cooking, things could seem overwhelming. I quickly realized that they more prepared I could be, the more confident I felt. If you already have the basics in your kitchen, then you can shop stress-free.
So print out our easy grocery list, stock up your pantry and fridge, and you’ll be cooking in no time!
Click to get my Free Printable Grocery List for the perfectly stocked pantry and freezer!
Fresh Produce
- Apples
- Bananas
- Strawberries
- Avocados
- Bell Peppers
- Carrots
- Broccoli
- Garlic
- Lemons/Limes
- Onion
- Parsley
- Cilantro
- Basil
- Potatoes
- Spinach
- Tomatoes
GRAINS
- Breadcrumbs
- Pasta
- Quinoa
- Rice
- Sandwich Bread
- Tortillas
MEAT/PROTEIN
- Chicken
- Eggs
- Ground Beef
- Sliced Turkey
- Lunch Meat
DAIRY
- Butter
- Sliced Cheese
- Shredded Cheese
- Milk
- Sour Cream
- Greek Yogurt
BAKING GOODS
- Baking powder
- Baking Soda
- Granulated Sugar
- Brown Sugar
- Flour
- Honey
- Vanilla Extract
- Dry Yeast
- Chocolate Chips
- Cocoa Powder
- Powdered Sugar
FREEZER
- Fruit and Berries
- Frozen Veggies (Corn, Peas, Broccoli, etc)
- Juice Concentrate
- Pizza or Other Convenience Meals
- Pie Crust
- Cookie Dough
CANNED/DRIED GOODS
- Chicken stock/broth
- Salsa
- Diced Tomatoes
- Jam/Jelly
- Peanut Butter
- Pasta Sauce
- Beans (Black Beans, Chickpeas, Baked Beans, etc)
- Soups
- Tuna
- Green Chiles
- Canned Veggies
- Coffee or Tea
Get more details on the best non-perishable and pantry foods
CONDIMENTS/SPICES
- Black Pepper
- Chili Powder
- Cinnamon
- Crushed Red Pepper
- Cumin
- Garlic Powder
- Ketchup
- Mustard
- Mayo
- Nutmeg
- Paprika
- Salt (Course Sea Salt and Kosher Salt)
- Soy Sauce
- Steak Sauce
- Hot Sauce/ Buffalo Sauce
- Salad Dressings
OILS/VINEGARS
- Apple cider vinegar
- Balsamic vinegar
- Coconut Oil
- Olive Oil
- Vegetable/Canola Oil
- Red Wine Vinegar
- White Vinegar
- Cooking Wine
- White Wine Vinegar
SNACKS
- Crackers
- Nuts
- Quick Oats
- Popcorn
- Tortilla Chips
- Cereal
Click to get my Free Printable Grocery List for the perfectly stocked pantry and freezer!
Click ☝🏻 for my FREE Grocery List Printable!
I hope this essential grocery list can help you buy what you need and make your home cooking so much easier!
Stock Your Kitchen
Find more ideas for your grocery list, stock up your kitchen, and print more cooking guides and charts to keep handy!
Non-Perishable Foods to Stock Up On
Frozen Vegetables to Stock Up On (and Recipes to Make)
Ultimate List of Cooking Herbs for Your Kitchen
Ultimate List of Cooking Spices for Your Kitchen
Cooking Oil 101: Types of Cooking Oils to Use
26 Types of Pasta and When to Use Them
What Fruits and Vegetables are in Season?
Meat Temperature Chart (Free Printable)
How to Meal Prep (Guide for Beginners)
Basic Cooking Measurements & Kitchen Conversion Chart
