“If tom yum goong is the king of Thai soups, tom kha gai is the queen…” says Craig Fear, author of The Thai Soup Secret eCookbook.
Craig traveled to Thailand 17 years ago… and it eventually led to writing this beautiful eCookbook focused on Thailand’s nourishing soups.
He says that food wasn’t even the intention of his trip, but he couldn’t help falling in love with it — especially Thai soups.
Years later, when Craig become a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner, he saw those amazing soups with a new understanding…
They all contained true healing power: the nourishing broth base.
The Thai Soup Secret
So, he went back to Thailand to try as many different soups as he could, observing them, taking cooking classes, and taking photographs.
And that’s how the eBook The Thai Soup Secret: Transform Your Health With Thailand’s #1 Superfood came to be!
In it, he shares the “6 secrets” to Thai soups. Shhh… we know the first one already… real broths are the key. 😉
He also shares simple broth methods and even more beautiful, classic Thai soups.
Craig gave a copy of his Thai Soup Secret eCookbook to me, and I absolutely love it. I’m looking forward to cooking through many of the soups this Fall and Winter. I know you will love, it, too!
Tom Kha Gai
With Craig’s permission, I’m sharing Tom Kha Gai with you (it’s from his eBook). This is a classic soup many Americans will know already because it’s served in many Thai restaurants. It’s really easy to make at home! (And, you’ll probably find yours turns out better.) 😉
Mine did, thanks to this simple, wonderful recipe featuring broth (of course!), coconut milk, lemongrass, lime, chiles, and chicken.
About this soup, Craig says:
If tom yum goong is the king of Thai soups, tom kha gai is the queen. Some might even say it’s superior to tom yum in popularity. Whichever rules supreme, I can’t say for sure, but both are equally featured on Thai menus all over the world. And both have many similarities. The main difference is that tom kha always uses coconut milk. My version of tom kha gai is inspired from the island of Ko Lanta in southern Thailand.
The Thai family that ran the guesthouse where I stayed made the absolute best version of the soup I had anywhere in Thailand. One day, I asked if I could come into the kitchen to observe how they made it … so I could re-create it in America. They were surprised that a foreigner was so interested in their cuisine, and they welcomed me with open arms. I’ll never forget the smiles on their faces as I stood there taking notes and snapping pictures.
Thanks for sharing it with us, Craig. 🙂 Everyone, enjoy!
Let’s Get Cooking!
Tom Kha Gai
Tom Kha Gai, a classic Thai soup you might already know from eating in a Thai restaurant. Here's a simple, wonderful recipe featuring nourishing broth (of course!), coconut milk, lemongrass, lime, chiles, and chicken.
Ingredients
- 1 to 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 14-ounce can full-fat coconut milk
- 2 stalks lemongrass cut into 1/4-inch thick slices
- 1 inch galangal fresh , 1/8 to 1/4-inch thick slices
- 8 to 10 kaffir lime leaves ripped in half
- 2 to 3 pieces chicken thighs or breasts, cooked or raw, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 to 3 bird’s eye chiles sliced into thin rings
- 1 onion medium, coarsely chopped
- 1 tomato medium, coarsely chopped
- 1 cup mushrooms oyster, shiitake, OR straw, wiped clean and coarsely chopped
- jasmine rice cooked, for serving (optional)
Instructions
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Bring the broth and coconut milk to a gentle boil in a medium pot over medium-high or high heat. (For a thicker consistency, use less broth and more coconut milk and vice versa.)
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Add the lemongrass, galangal, and kaffir lime leaves and reduce the heat to medium-low or medium and simmer 5 to 10 minutes.
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Add the chicken. For cooked chicken, gently simmer for 1 minute to reheat. For raw chicken, simmer for 2 to 3 minutes or until it’s cooked through and no longer pink in the middle. Be sure not to boil the soup, as this will make the chicken overly tough.
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Add the bird’s eye chiles, onion, tomato, and mushrooms and simmer for 2 to 3 more minutes.
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Ladle the soup into individual bowls and season with the fish sauce, lime juice, coconut sugar, cilantro, and scallions to taste. (Alternatively, you may use any combination of those to suit your own tastes.)
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Serve with a side of jasmine rice (if using).
Recipe Notes
- For a mild spice, use only one chile; for a medium spiciness, use two; and for a really good kick, use three or more. For zero kick, don’t use any chiles at all.
This recipe is shared with permission from The Thai Soup Secret eCookbook by Craig Fear, NTP.
The Thai Soup Secret eCookbook
The Thai Soup Secret eCookbook includes 40 restorative recipes for medicinal broths, congees, and soups. All gluten and dairy-free!
Besides being geared towards health and wellness, these recipes are also designed for people with busy schedules and a basic kitchen set up. All the recipes are broth-based with simple, easy-to-follow instructions!
What you’ll learn in The Thai Soup Secret:
- The Nourishing and Restorative Power of REAL Broth, and why Thai-style broths are easier to make than western-style broths (hint: no simmering the broth for hours on end!). Includes 4 simple recipes.
- The Many Health Benefits of Thai Herbs, including 3 traditional Thai soup ingredients with powerful, anti-inflammatory properties that can fight even the toughest gut pathogens.
- Easily Find Thai Soup Ingredients. There are no exotic, difficult-to-find ingredients in this book! You will learn to easily find Thai soup ingredients right where you live.
- How to Make Medicinal Drinking Broths (which have potent gut-soothing benefits) using a variety of simple Thai herbs, roots, and spices.
- How to Make Delicious Congees which are simple, rice-based soups commonly eaten for breakfast throughout Asia. Craig shows you how to whip these up faster than a boring old bowl of oatmeal!
- Learn to Make Mouthwatering, Nourishing Thai Soups, including recipes for tom yum, tom kha, and many more!
- How to Make Fun and Creative Thai Fusion Soups, including recipes for Thai basil pesto, Thai watermelon mint, and a Thai mango gazpacho!
- How to Make Every Recipe Taste Incredible. Finally, you’ll learn to season your soups to your personal liking, just like they do it in Thailand. For example, if you don’t like spicy, no problem! It’s easy to alter each recipe to what you like.
Some of the recipes include:
- Chicken and Rice Soup
- Thai Beef Noodle Soup
- Thai Basil Pesto Soup
- Northeastern Herbal Curry Soup
- Classic Thai Congee
- Thai Coconut Carrot Soup
- And MORE!
Click here for more info or to buy now.
How much heat do you want? What is your favorite Thai soup?
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Thanks for passing this along! We love Thai food!!!
I tried to use the discount code and couldn’t get it to work. Any suggestions?
Hi D.,
I’m sorry for the troubles. I believe the ordering system was not working properly over the weekend. Can you try it again?
If you still have trouble please let us know. https://traditionalcookingschool.com/contact/
Thank you!
~ Millie, TCS Customer Success Team
I love Thai soups. Thank you so much. I have just downloaded my copy of the cookbook.
Martha ~ Wonderful! Enjoy!
What is Galangal and how or where do I get Kefir Lime Leaves? Looking forward to making this soup!
Hi, Valerie! Galangal is a root (similar to ginger, but different). You can find it in Asian markets or here it is dried: http://amzn.to/2fHh0Nh
Same thing for kaffir lime leaves. Here they are dried if you cannot find fresh: http://amzn.to/2fG4GNq
I hope this helps! This soup is soooo good. 🙂
Thanks so much for the info…will get the ingredients and try this soup soon!
I love Thai foods. I used to tell my late wife that I would have loved to work in a Thai kitchen for a year to learn all their tricks! We ate in several different restaurants, and in one of them, the kitchen was open, and we sat near to watch them. Of course, I didn’t learn anything other than how to smile!
In the recipe that you share with us, I checked out the sodium. My doctors tell me to watch the sodium! Under 100 mg is okay. This one is over 400 mg. Since I don’t eat Thai food often, I suspect I can get away with it (somewhat). If you glance over your recipes, do you see most sodiums over 100mg?
Hi, George,
I love Thai foods as well!
For the most part, we don’t track sodium levels in our recipes. In addition, we recommend using unrefined sea salt, which may or may not fall under the same guidelines for consumption. Best to consult your doctor on whether the same guidelines apply to unrefined sea salt.
If you are watching your sodium intake you can adjust the recipe accordingly.
Sorry, we can’t be more helpful.
Enjoy!
~Peggy, TCS Customer Success Team