Thai
Tom Kha Gai (Coconut Chicken Soup)
A fragrant coconut broth with chicken, mushroom and lime — soothing, gently spicy and ready in 20 minutes.
About this recipe
Tom Kha Gai (Coconut Chicken Soup) is a thai lunch for 2 that is a gentle, mostly hands-off simmer. It’s built around chicken and fish, and it takes around 20 min start to finish. We sized it for a small household and ranked it on OneToCook by how much of it you already have in the fridge.
Good to know
* Dietary flags are derived from the listed ingredients — always check labels and your own needs for allergens.
Ingredients
- 200g, sliced chicken breast
- 1 cup, sliced mushroom
- 3 slices ginger
- 2 tbsp fish sauce
- 300ml water
- 200ml coconut milk buy
- 1 stalk lemongrass buy
- 1 lime buy
- 2 bird's eye chilli buy
- small handful coriander buy
Equipment
Method
- 1
SimmerSimmer.Cook in liquid with gentle bubbling, just below a boil.Glossary → the water with bruised lemongrass and ginger, 5 min.
~6 min
- 2
Add the chicken and mushroom; simmerSimmer.Cook in liquid with gentle bubbling, just below a boil.Glossary → until cooked, 6 min.
~7 min
- 3
Pour in coconut milk, fish sauce and chilli; warm through without a hard boil, then finish with lime and coriander.
~4 min
Smart swaps
Out of something? Try one of these.
- Chicken breast
- chicken thigh (more forgiving), prawns, or firm tofu.
- Coconut milk
- evaporated milk or any unsweetened plant milk + a little oil for richness.
- Lemon
- lime, or a small splash of vinegar.
- Ginger
- a pinch of ground ginger, or galangal if you have it.
- Lime
- lemon, or a splash of rice vinegar for the acidity.
- Fish sauce
- light soy sauce with a tiny pinch of salt — less funk, still savoury (also the vegetarian swap).
Cook's notes
- Peel ginger with the edge of a spoon — it hugs the knobbly bits and wastes far less than a peeler. How to prep ginger →
- Deseed the chilli for less heat, and wash your hands (or wear a glove) before touching your eyes. How to prep chilli →
- Roll the lime firmly on the bench before juicing — you’ll get noticeably more juice out of it. How to juice a lime →
- Slice chicken thinly across the grain — it cooks faster and stays tender. How to slice chicken thinly →
- Do your chopping first (mise en place). With everything prepped, the actual cooking here is only about 15 min.
Storage & leftovers
This keeps well — store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days, and the flavour often deepens overnight. Reheat gently on the stove, adding a splash of water if it’s thickened.
Frequently asked
How long does Tom Kha Gai (Coconut Chicken Soup) take to make? +
Around 20 min from start to finish, almost all of it hands-on.
How many people does this recipe serve? +
As written it serves 2. To cook for 4, roughly multiply the ingredients — but cook in batches if the pan gets crowded, so things sear instead of steaming.
What equipment do I need? +
You’ll want: induction hob, pot. OneToCook only suggests recipes that fit the equipment you tell it you have, so you can filter these out if your kitchen is more minimal.
What can I use if I'm missing an ingredient? +
Common swaps for this dish: Chicken breast → chicken thigh (more forgiving), prawns, or firm tofu; Coconut milk → evaporated milk or any unsweetened plant milk + a little oil for richness; Lemon → lime, or a small splash of vinegar. See the full list of smart swaps above.
Can I make Tom Kha Gai (Coconut Chicken Soup) ahead of time? +
This keeps well — store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days, and the flavour often deepens overnight. Reheat gently on the stove, adding a splash of water if it’s thickened.
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