Tom Kha Soup

Tom Kha Soup: Thailand’s Coconut and Galangal Soup

Byorevia
Prep10 minutes
Cook15 minutes
Serves3
Total25 min
2 min readJump to Recipe ↓

Tom kha, or galangal soup, is a creamy Thai coconut soup that is much loved at Thai restaurants. It is gentle, citrusy and fragrant. It tastes sweet, sour, salty and spicy all in one bowl. The classic version uses chicken, and this is a vegetarian version with mushrooms.

In This Guide
  1. Did You Know?
  2. Ingredients
  3. Method
  4. Common Mistakes to Avoid
  5. Storage and Reheating
  6. Quick Answers

Did You Know?

Tom kha means “boiled galangal”. Galangal is a rhizome related to ginger, but it has a sharper, more citrusy and piney flavour. In tom kha soup it is cooked with lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves in coconut milk. These aromatics are there for flavour and are usually not eaten.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups vegetable stock
  • 1 can (400 ml) coconut milk
  • 2 stalks lemongrass, bruised and cut in pieces
  • 1 inch galangal or ginger, sliced
  • 4 lime leaves (or zest of 1 lime)
  • 1.5 cups mushrooms, sliced
  • 2 to 3 Thai or green chillies, slit
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tsp sugar, juice of 1 lime
  • Coriander leaves

Method

  1. In a pot bring the stock, lemongrass, galangal and lime leaves to a boil. Simmer for 8 minutes so the aromatics release flavour.
  2. Add the mushrooms and chillies and cook for 4 minutes.
  3. Pour in the coconut milk and warm over low heat. Do not boil hard or it may split.
  4. Add soy sauce and sugar. Switch off the heat and add lime juice at the end.
  5. Garnish with coriander. The lemongrass and galangal are for flavour, so do not eat the pieces.

Serve hot with jasmine rice on the side. A heavy pot like our triply range keeps the soup warm.

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Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • Boiling the coconut milk hard. It can split. Keep it at a gentle simmer.
  • Adding lime juice while cooking. Stir it in off the heat so it stays fresh.
  • Replacing galangal with ginger and expecting the same taste. They are different.

Storage and Reheating

Best fresh. Keep for 2 days in the fridge and reheat gently without boiling.

Quick Answers

Can I use ginger instead of galangal?

You can, but the flavour will differ. Galangal gives the soup its classic character.

Can I make it vegetarian?

Yes. Use mushrooms or tofu and a vegetable stock.

Written byorevia

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