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This Thai Coconut Soup with hen and shrimp is daring, creamy, and prepared in 20 minutes. Made with lemongrass, galangal, crimson curry paste, and lime juice, it’s aromatic, comforting, and surprisingly simple. Every thing comes collectively in a single pot for a comfortable weeknight dinner that’s even higher than takeout.

Genuine Thai Coconut Soup
I really like ordering Thai coconut soup (Tom Kha) at eating places, however making it at residence simply hits completely different, particularly when it’s this simple. This one has all of the traditional flavors—lemongrass, galangal, kaffir lime leaves, and crimson curry paste simmered right into a wealthy, savory broth. Then I add juicy hen breast, plump shrimp, mushrooms, and a little bit chili for that refined kick. The coconut milk and contemporary lime juice pull every thing collectively. It’s spicy, tangy, creamy, and comforting in all the most effective methods. And because it’s all performed in a single pot, cleanup is fast and simple.
Nothing beats a bowl of piping scorching, spicy, fragrant and totally scrumptious Thai soup equivalent to Tom Yum Goong (Spicy Shrimp Soup) or Tom Kha Gai (Coconut Rooster Soup). This Thai coconut soup is a little bit little bit of each—flavorful, appetizing, and so satisfying. You simply need to strive my recipe! Should you want a creamier sauce with shrimp, strive my Coconut Chili Shrimp recipe.
What Is Tom Kha

Tom Kha is a traditional Thai coconut soup that’s wealthy, tangy, and aromatic. “Tom” means boiled and “Kha” means galangal, which is without doubt one of the key elements. The broth is made with coconut milk, galangal, lemongrass, and kaffir lime leaves, giving it that iconic Thai taste that’s creamy, citrusy, and a little bit spicy. Historically, it’s made with hen (Tom Kha Gai), however shrimp and mushrooms are additionally widespread. It’s comforting, flavorful, and one of many most-loved soups in Thai delicacies.
In terms of making Thai soups, there are a number of elements which are important: lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, and galangal. They’re the key elements that give Tom Kha its signature style. You’ll be able to normally discover them at Asian or Southeast Asian shops. Should you can’t discover them, simply skip—they’re laborious to totally substitute, however the soup will nonetheless style nice.
Components You’ll Want

- Lemongrass
- Galangal
- Kaffir lime leaves
- Thai crimson curry paste – I like to recommend Maesri or Mae Ploy model crimson curry paste.
- Coconut milk
- Lime juice
You’ll discover all the precise measurements and particulars down within the recipe card beneath.
Professional Tip #1: Coconut Milk
Coconut milk offers the broth that wealthy, silky texture and ties every thing collectively—it softens the warmth from the curry paste and rounds out the sharpness from the lime juice and fish sauce. I like to recommend utilizing full-fat canned coconut milk for the most effective taste and creaminess. Keep away from the boxed or low-fat variations—they’re thinner and received’t offer you that very same luscious end.
Professional Tip #2: Lime Juice & Fish Sauce
These two are the dynamic duo of Thai cooking—lime juice brightens every thing with acidity, and fish sauce provides that savory, umami kick. Collectively, they stability the richness of coconut milk and produce concord to the soup.
Professional Tip #3: Rooster & Shrimp
I select hen breast for tender, juicy bites and shrimp for a pop of sweetness and texture. The mixture makes the soup really feel hearty however nonetheless mild—and the most effective half? They each cook dinner quick, so the entire dish comes collectively shortly with out overcooking the proteins. Good for a weeknight dinner.
Further Tip #1: No Rooster Broth?
Should you don’t have hen broth, you possibly can nonetheless make this soup from scratch. Simply use a few hen drumsticks as a substitute. Add them in with the water and aromatics, then simmer a little bit longer—about 25 to half-hour—so the broth will get wealthy and stuffed with taste. As soon as that’s performed, take away the drumsticks, shred the meat, and add it again in. It’s a straightforward method to construct depth with out store-bought broth.
Further Tip #2: How To Make It Vegan Or Vegetarian
Need to hold it meat-free? Swap the hen and shrimp for agency tofu and a mixture of Asian mushrooms like shiitake, enoki, oyster, or king trumpet. They add nice texture and take in the broth superbly. Use vegetable broth as a substitute of hen broth, and swap out the fish sauce for soy sauce. It received’t style precisely the identical, however it nonetheless offers you a comfortable, flavorful soup with all these scrumptious Thai flavors.
How To Make Thai Coconut Soup With Coconut And Shrimp

Begin by pouring the hen broth and water right into a pot and crank the warmth to excessive. As soon as that’s going, toss within the lemongrass, galangal, kaffir lime leaves, and Thai crimson curry paste. Give it a fast stir, and let every thing come to a boil—that’s the place all the flavour begins to construct.
As soon as the broth is boiling, go forward and add the hen, shrimp, mushrooms, and crimson chili. Let all of it simmer till the hen and shrimp are simply cooked by way of—they don’t take lengthy. Then pour within the fish sauce, coconut milk, and contemporary lime juice. Give every thing a great stir so the flavors come collectively, then flip off the warmth. That’s it! Ladle it up and serve straight away whereas it’s scorching and comfy.
Incessantly Requested Questions
Should you want only one protein, go for it. Simply alter the amount to maintain the soup balanced. Rooster breast or thighs work nice, and shrimp provides a pleasant sweetness.
It has a light to medium warmth from the Thai crimson curry paste and contemporary chili. You’ll be able to scale the boost or down relying in your style. Need it milder? Skip the chili. Need it hotter? Add extra paste or toss in some sliced fowl’s eye chili.
It’s greatest contemporary, however you may make the broth forward and retailer it within the fridge for as much as 2 days. Simply reheat and add the protein and veggies while you’re able to serve. That approach, nothing will get overcooked.
Retailer any leftovers in an hermetic container within the fridge for as much as 2 days. Simply take into account that the coconut milk can thicken a bit within the fridge, and the shrimp might get barely overcooked when reheated. To heat it up, reheat gently on the range over low warmth—don’t let it boil, or the coconut milk can cut up. Squeeze in a little bit contemporary lime juice earlier than serving to carry the flavors again to life.
No, I don’t suggest it. Coconut milk doesn’t freeze properly. It tends to separate and switch grainy when thawed, which messes with the creamy texture of the soup. It’s greatest loved contemporary.
This recipe is barely 258 energy per serving.

What To Serve With This Recipe
For a straightforward and healthful Thai weeknight dinner, I like to recommend the next recipes:
I hope you take pleasure in this publish as a lot as I do. Should you strive my recipe, please depart a remark and contemplate giving it a 5-star ranking. For easier and scrumptious recipes, discover my Recipe Index, and keep up to date by subscribing to my e-newsletter and following me on Fb, Pinterest, and Instagram for brand spanking new updates.
Different Thai Recipes You Would possibly Like

- 14½ oz hen broth
- 4 cups water
- 3 stalks lemongrass, (white half solely, pounded)
- 2 inch piece galangal, sliced
- 12 kaffir lime leaves, bruised
- 2-3 tablespoons Thai crimson curry paste
- ½ lb skinless hen breast, lower into cubes
- ½ lb shrimp, shelled and deveined, tail-on
- 6 oz contemporary white button mushrooms, stems trimmed and quartered
- 1 crimson chilies, deseeded, lower into thick strips
- 2½ tablespoons fish sauce
- ¾ cup coconut milk
- 1 massive lime, juiced
Forestall your display from going darkish
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Add the hen broth and water to a pot over excessive warmth. Then, add the lemongrass, galangal, kaffir lime leaves, and Thai crimson curry paste to the broth and produce to a boil.
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Add the hen, shrimp, mushrooms, and crimson chili. As soon as the hen and shrimp are cooked, add the fish sauce, coconut milk, and lime juice. Stir to mix properly, then flip off the warmth and serve instantly.
Should you can’t discover lemongrass, galangal, and kaffir lime leaves, simply skip them. There aren’t any actual substitutes however your soup is not going to have the aromas imparted by these elements. You should purchase Thai crimson chili paste on-line.
Serving: 4individuals, Energy: 258kcal, Carbohydrates: 10g, Protein: 29g, Fats: 13g, Saturated Fats: 9g, Polyunsaturated Fats: 1g, Monounsaturated Fats: 1g, Trans Fats: 0.01g, Ldl cholesterol: 128mg, Sodium: 1069mg, Potassium: 835mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 3g, Vitamin A: 1902IU, Vitamin C: 22mg, Calcium: 90mg, Iron: 4mg
Vitamin info is robotically calculated, so ought to solely be used as an approximation.