Thai Golden Coconut Chile Chicken Soup

About This Recipe

This soup follows the structure of tom kha gai, the classic Thai coconut chicken soup, built on a base of coconut milk, galangal, lemongrass and lime leaves, and given a golden hue and extra warmth here with a touch of turmeric. Fresh chile is added toward the end so its heat stays sharp rather than mellowing into the broth over a long simmer. The technique that defines this soup is keeping the coconut milk from splitting: it's added gradually and never allowed to boil hard, since coconut fat can separate and turn the broth greasy and grainy if the heat spikes. Fish sauce and lime juice, stirred in only at the very end, are what give the broth its final salty-sour lift that Thai soups are known for. Serve it hot with a mound of jasmine rice on the side, spooning the broth over as you eat, the way it's traditionally served rather than as a stand-alone bowl.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 500 gboneless chicken thighs(sliced thin)
• 2 canscoconut milk(400ml each)
• 1.5 cupschicken stock
• 3 slicesfresh galangal or ginger
• 2 stalkslemongrass(smashed and cut into lengths)
• 4kaffir lime leaves(torn)
• 1 tspground turmeric
• 2Thai bird's eye chiles(smashed)
• 200 gcremini mushrooms(halved)
• 3 tbspfish sauce
• 2 tbsplime juice
• 1 tspsugar
• 0.25 cupfresh cilantro(chopped, for garnish)

Instructions

1. 1

   Build the aromatic base

   In a pot, combine 1 cup of the coconut milk with galangal, lemongrass, lime leaves and turmeric. Simmer over medium heat for 5 minutes to infuse.

2. 2

   Add stock and chicken

   Pour in the chicken stock, bring to a gentle simmer, then add the sliced chicken. Cook 6-7 minutes until just cooked through.

3. 3

   Add mushrooms and chiles

   Stir in mushrooms and smashed chiles, and simmer 5 more minutes until the mushrooms soften.

4. 4

   Finish with coconut milk

   Reduce heat to low and stir in the remaining coconut milk. Warm through gently without letting it boil.

   Boiling hard at this stage can cause the coconut milk to split and turn grainy.

5. 5

   Season

   Off the heat, stir in fish sauce, lime juice and sugar. Taste and adjust — it should be salty, sour and a little spicy all at once.

6. 6

   Serve

   Ladle into bowls, discarding the galangal and lemongrass pieces if you like, and top with fresh cilantro. Serve with jasmine rice.

Variations

• •

  Use shrimp instead of chicken and add them in the last 3-4 minutes so they don't overcook.

• •

  Make it vegetarian with tofu and mushroom broth instead of chicken and chicken stock, using soy sauce in place of fish sauce.

• •

  Add straw mushrooms or baby corn for a more traditional tom kha profile.

Storage

Refrigerate up to 3 days. Reheat gently over low heat, never at a hard boil, to keep the coconut milk from splitting. Freezing is not recommended as coconut-based soups can separate when thawed.

Frequently Asked Questions