Tom Kha Gai is a naturally low-carb Thai soup made with coconut milk, chicken, and fragrant herbs like lemongrass and galangal. It’s rich and creamy without needing any flour or thickeners, making it a great option if you’re cutting carbs but still want big flavor.
It’s light on carbs but still feels like comfort food. The broth is full of complexity—coconut, lime, chili, and herbs—so it never feels like you’re missing out. It’s also easy to customize with extra protein or low-carb veggies to make it a full meal.
Helpful Tips
- Stick with full-fat coconut milk to get that rich texture and stay within low-carb guidelines.
- Add mushrooms or baby bok choy for more texture and volume without adding carbs.
- Serve as-is or with a side of cauliflower rice if you want something a little heartier.
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Tom Kha Gai
Ingredients
- 1 can unsweetened coconut milk full fat
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1/2 lb chicken breast sliced thinly
- 1 teaspoon palm sugar
- 1 stem lemongrass cut into one inch pieces
- 2 inch piece galangal or ginger peeled and sliced thinly
- 2 kaffir lime leaves
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 10 small mushrooms halved
- 1 lime juiced
- handful of cilantro
Instructions
- Combine coconut milk and chicken broth in a large sauce pan and bring to a simmer over medium heat.
- Add sugar, lemongrass, galangal and kaffir lime leaves.
- Add chicken and simmer until cooked, about 5 minutes.
- Add fish sauce, mushrooms, juice of one lime and half the cilantro.
- Simmer on medium for 5 more minutes.
- Remove from heat, add to bowls, top with cilantro. Serve.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Laura is dedicated to a low-carb lifestyle after losing 52 pounds on the keto diet. As many of us do, she struggles with her weight and has found that one of the only diet lifestyles that allows her to maintain a healthy weight is a low-carb diet. She shares her favorite low-carb recipes here that are both easy to make and full of flavor, so you don’t even miss the carbs.