Yesterday I posted on my Instagram stories that I was making my infamous Thai coconut soup. I asked you if you wanted the recipe, and the answer was a resounding YES. Ask, and ye shall receive.
Here are a few important points before you read any further:
- I LOVE Thai coconut soup, as does my husband. I have made various versions of this at least once a month for the last two years, so I know a good (or bad) recipe when I taste one.
- This recipe is my favorite version. It tastes like the kind you’d pick up from a local Thai joint.
- I am not a food blogger so I don’t have beautifully lit and staged photos of this Thai coconut soup recipe for you. You’re just going to have to trust me.
I love this Thai coconut soup, also known as Tom Kha Gai, because it is so versatile – you can change up the vegetables or use different proteins to suit whatever you and your family like to eat! It also reheats really nicely so you can make a big batch one day and eat it for a few days.
If you see some of the more niche items on the ingredient list, like fish sauce, and think, “where do I buy that?” or “I don’t want to spend money on that”, rest assured that you can get all of them at a standard grocery store and most will last you through multiple preparations of this soup (as well as other Asian dishes).
Anywho, without further ado, nor a long story about my life that I somehow tie into my recipe (doesn’t that seem like what every food blogger does?), I present to you: The Best Thai Coconut Soup you’ll ever make at home.
Ingredients needed for 8 servings:
- Avocado oil, 1 tbsp
- Lemongrass, 1 stalk, minced*
- Garlic, 3 cloves, minced*
- Fresh Ginger, 2 tsp, minced or grated*
- Curry paste, 2 tsp
- Chicken or vegetable broth, 4 cups
- Fish sauce, 2 tsp
- Brown sugar, 2 tsp
- Full fat coconut milk, 2 cans
- Shitake mushrooms, as much as you want, sliced thinly
- Onions, as much as you want, diced
- Shrimp or chicken, as much as you want
- Green beans, as much as you want, trimmed and cleaned
- Red bell pepper, as much as you want, sliced thinly
- Lime juice, 1 whole lime
- Salt, pepper, red chili flakes, sriracha
*You might be tempted to use the pre-packaged or dried version of these aromatics. If that is absolutely necessary, fine. But I promise you, if you can get your hands on the fresh stuff, your tastebuds will thank you. It’s the difference between an okay coconut soup and a hell yes coconut soup.
Mix lemongrass, garlic, ginger, and curry paste with 1 tbsp of oil in a stockpot over low-medium heat. Let simmer together for one minute. Add broth, fish sauce, and sugar to pot; let simmer for 2-3 minutes. Add protein, coconut milk, mushrooms, onions, peppers, and green beans, and cook over medium heat until soft and the meat is cooked through, approximately 7 minutes. Finish with lime juice and seasonings, including sriracha (at least put a *little* in for flavor even if you don’t enjoy spice), before portioning into bowls for serving. Goes great with rice or a cucumber salad!
Bon appetito mi amigos 🙂
