Should I cook Tom Kha Gai in the Instant Pot or on the stovetop?

Make the Tom Kha Gai in an Instant Pot with chicken breast or chicken thighs, or cook it more authentically on the stovetop. Your choice! The instant pot version is very quick and easy- just put it all in the pot and set. When it's done squeeze with fresh lime and serve in bowls.

Can Tom Kha Gai be frozen?

Yes, Tom Kha Gai freezes well. Make a big batch and freeze for busy nights. Freeze for up to 3 months.

What is the difference between Tom Yum Soup and Tom Kha Gai?

The primary difference between Tom Yum Soup and Tom Kha is that Tom Kha is richer and creamier by adding coconut milk. Tom Yum Soup is brothy, spicy and much more sour. Because it is made with a clear broth, without the addition of coconut milk, it is lighter, low in calories and saturated fat. Tom Kha is rich and creamy, with sweeter notes.

What is Tom Kha Gai made of?

Gai means "chicken" in the Thai language, so Tom Kha Gai translates to Galangal Soup with Chicken.

Tom Kha Soup (Thai Coconut Soup)

Name: Tom Kha Soup ( Thai coconut soup)
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Cuisine: Thai
Ingredients: 1 -2 shallots, diced; ¼ cup ginger, sliced into ⅛ inch thick disks, skins ok ( 2 inch piece); ¼ cup galangal root, sliced into ⅛ thick disks, skins ok ( 2 inch piece); 3 tablespoons finely chopped lemongrass- or use lemongrass paste.; 8 kaffir lime leaves; 2 cups chicken broth or veggie broth; 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken- whole breasts or thighs (or sub 1 pound crispy Tofu or shrimp); 8 ounces mushrooms (oyster, shiitake, cremini, or straw mushrooms) or sub other veggies like bell pepper, snow peas, etc.; 2-4 fresh Thai Chilies, or add chili paste to taste at the end; 3 tablespoons fish sauce (or sub vegan fish sauce); 1 ½ teaspoons salt; 2 x 14-ounce cans of coconut milk (full fat); 3 tablespoons lime juice ( 1-2 small limes) to taste; 2 teaspoons palm, coconut or brown sugar

Description

This Tom Kha Recipe (Thai Coconut Soup) is authentic and delicious! Make it with chicken, tofu, or shrimp on the stovetop or Instant Pot.

Ingredients

Units Scale

1 –2 shallots, diced
1/4 cup ginger, sliced into 1/8 inch thick disks, skins ok ( 2 inch piece)
1/4 cup galangal root, sliced into 1/8 thick disks, skins ok ( 2 inch piece)
3 tablespoons finely chopped lemongrass- or use lemongrass paste.
8 kaffir lime leaves
2 cups chicken broth or veggie broth
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken- whole breasts or thighs (or sub 1 pound crispy Tofu or shrimp)
8 ounces mushrooms (oyster, shiitake, cremini, or straw mushrooms) or sub other veggies like bell pepper, snow peas, etc.
2–4 fresh Thai Chilies, or add chili paste to taste at the end
3 tablespoons fish sauce (or sub vegan fish sauce)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt

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2 x 14–ounce cans of coconut milk (full fat)
3 tablespoons lime juice ( 1–2 small limes) to taste
2 teaspoons palm, coconut or brown sugar

Serve this on its own, over rice or rice noodles!

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Instructions

Stovetop Cooking instructions:

Slice the chicken into thin bite-sized pieces (across the grain) and season with salt and pepper, and set aside.
In large heavy bottom pot or dutch oven, saute shallot in a little oil over medium heat. Add ginger, lemongrass, lime leaves and galalagal and 2 cups broth and simmer gently for 5 minutes, letting the broth infuse. Add the chicken (or tofu) and mushrooms and gently poach, simmering for 3-4 minutes or until the chicken is just cooked through.
Stir in the coconut milk, fish sauce, chilies, and salt and bring to a gentle simmer. Add the lime juice and sugar. Taste. Adjust salt and lime and the spice level by adding more chili paste.

Instant Pot Instructions:

Place everything in the instant pot except lime juice, coconut milk and sugar – leaving the chicken thighs or breasts whole. Don’t forget the salt. Give a stir.
If using chicken breasts, pressure cook on high pressure for 7 minutes, or 10 minutes for thighs. If using tofu, pressure cook 4 minutes.
Naturally, release for 10-15 minutes. Shred the chicken into bite-sized pieces using two forks and add the coconut milk, sugar, and lime juice. Taste- adjust salt, lime and spicy heat. Serve with a lime wedge.

Notes

When making the stove top version, sometimes I’ll poach whole chicken breasts in the infused broth (covered) then shred with 2 forks- a little longer cooking time, but no pre-cutting required. Then add the remaining ingredients. 🙂

Boiling coconut milk will take some it’s lovely sweetness away, so don’t over boil it or over cook it, just simmer gently and not for too long. 🙂

To make a vegan version, sub veggie broth for the chicken broth. Add cubes of raw tofu or crispy tofu ( pan- sear cubes of tofu in a skillet first, with olive oil, salt and pepper). Add other veggies if you like! Sub vegan fish sauce for regular fish sauce.

If using shrimp, peel and devein, and drop into the simmering soup, cooking until tails curl.

Feel free to serve over rice or rice noodles.

The soup freezes well!

RECIPE UPDATE: I changed the Instant Pot version, to add the 2 cans of coconut milk AFTER pressure cooking. Some folks had issues with the coconut milk curdling during the pressure cooking.

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 1/2 cups using chicken breast
Calories: 461
Sugar: 3.4 g
Sodium: 1123.7 mg
Fat: 33.9 g
Saturated Fat: 28.3 g
Carbohydrates: 9.5 g
Fiber: 0.7 g
Protein: 25.6 g
Cholesterol: 66.2 mg