The Best Thai Tom Kha Soup Recipe

Happy Sunday Everyone!!!


I am enjoying this hot summer so much…. Last week was CHICAGO AIR AND WATER SHOW , I had so much fun shooting  the unobstructed views from Oak street beach. What was happening in your home town last past two weeks ? Any shows , concerts , …. ? 

On a hot summer day I can't believe I am thinking about soup. What soups are good for summer? I am thinking about Tom kha soup with chicken ( ต้มข่าไก่ ). This soup gives you a refreshing after taste from galangal and cabbage. 

Tom Kha is the second most famous Thai soup right next to tom yum soup. They both have similar ingredients: mushroom,meat,galangal,kaffir lime leaves,fish sauce and lemon grass-accept tom kha add coconut in it. In Thailand, tom kha is always made with chicken and tom yum make with shrimp.

This tom kha soup is one of my favorite soups of all time, the richness of coconut milk with the unique flavor of galangal balances the flavor of lemon glass and kafir lime leaves. 

As I remember, in my home town we used cabbage adding into the soup-Light and refreshing taste gives a more balanced taste into the soup. 

This soup is quick and easy to make! you can pull it off the first time you try. 

Galangal (ข่า) 

 is one of the ginger family. Galangal has earthy flavor and refreshing taste. 

- Ginger/galangal 

- Yin/Yang

- warm/cold

Ginger,warm tingling after taste.

Galangal gives a nice refreshing after taste.




It is easy to find in Asian grocery stores or Mexican grocery stores. But if you can't find around your house. You can use dried Thai Galangal in the jar, galangal powder or order delivery of a fresh one .


Kaffir lime leaves (ใบมะกรูด)  are used for adding aromatic flavor-Mostly used in Thai curry paste. There are some online links for fresh kaffir lime leaves  , dried Thai kaffir lime leaves or ground kaffir lime leaves  . 

Lemon grass ( ตะไคร้ ) is used for adding citrus flavor into the dishes. You can usedry one  if you can't find fresh one in the store near you. 

Cheers 

Natty

Ingredients 

2 pounds boneless chicken thigh ( cut the chicken against the grain on the diagonal 45 degree into bite size ) 

4 cups coconut milk

1 cup chicken stock 

1 root galangal, thinly sliced

1/2 cabbage, thinly sliced

1 stalk lemond grass

1/4 tablespoons fish sauce

6 leaves kaffir lime leaves, thinly slice

5 limes juice

2 fresh Thail chile, can subsitude with flake dried chile 

1/4 cup cilantro, thinly slice

steps 

• In medium pot over high heat bring chicken stock and coconut milk to boil, in about 7 minutes. 
• Cut the lemon grass by using the bulb part in about 3 inches, discard the leafy part. Remove the roughly part outer leaves. thinly slice on the diagonal 45 degree. 
• Turn the heat down to medium heat add Galangal, Lemon grass, kaffir lime leaves, chile, cilantro-Let it simmer in about 5 minutes.
• Turn the heat up to medium high heat, add chicken. Let the chicken cook through in about 5-7 minutes. 
• Add cabbage, Let it cook in about 3 minutes. 
• Turn the heat off, add fish sauce and lime juice. 

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Yum