Pearl’s Famous Tom Kah Coconut Soup Recipe
This rich tom kah coconut milk soup has been a long-standing favorite of Thai Spices’ patrons for years. It gets its unique rich flavor from quintessential Thai ingredients such as lemon grass, galangal root and kaffir lime leaf. It’s a quick and easy soup to make that’s surprisingly satisfying and delicious.
A Healthier Take on Tom Kah Coconut Soup
This healthy version of a traditional Thai dish is prepared using macrobiotic principles. The vegetables are cooked lightly in water instead of oil and balanced herbs are used. This soup can be made vegan, if you prefer it, by using Bragg’s Liquid Amino as your stock base instead of traditional fish sauce.
Most of the ingredients for Tom Kah coconut soup you can find at your local Asian grocer, a health food store or on Amazon.com.
by Master Chef Pearl Pardee
Ingredients
Half a white onion, sliced wide
2 cans coconut milk (not lite)
1 small size carrot, cut in thick matchsticks
5-6 kaffir lime leaves (sliced thin)
2-3 slices galangal root
2 stalks of fresh lemon grass, cut into 1″ pieces
1/2 of a jalapeno pepper cut into medium pieces (or more if you prefer a hotter soup)
(Optional) other sliced vegetables such as broccoli and button mushrooms, cooked chicken pieces or shrimp
2-3 tsp Bragg’s Liquid Amino seasoning or fish sauce or 1-2 tsp sea salt
Small handful of cilantro sprigs
1 green onion, sliced
2 tsp lemon juice
Preparation
1. In a separate saucepan add coconut milk, kaffir lime leaves, galangal and lemon grass. Simmer for 30 minutes to 1 hour or so for taste. (when the broth is ready you can keep the herbs in for next step or dispose of the herbs if you desire)
2. In a separate pan saute the onion, carrot pieces in a small amount of water until they begin to soften.
3. When coconut broth is ready, add the sauteed vegetables
4. Then add optional vegetables and meat.
5. Stir in Bragg’s, fish sauce or sea salt and continue cooking 5 or 10 minutes longer until optional items are cooked.
6. Top with cilantro sprigs, green onion and lemon juice and serve.
Enjoy!
I love Thai food, it leaves a nice clean taste in your mouth.
Thanks so very much for the recipe, Pearl. It is my favorite soup in the world and I have always wanted to make it at home, though I will continue to come to Thai Spices to eat it too.
Hugs,
Kate
you know I leave the herbs in the soup at the restaurant, its more traditional, so, I added that note in case people want to take it out. so, enjoys!
Holy crap, thank you so much for posting this! It is gonna be so helpful when I research Coconut Milk at the store! So Magnificent!
This is very close to the recipe I devised after eating this soup in Riverside, CA. The only thing I can’t seem to find are the kaffir lime leaves. Any suggestions? Some recipes have ginger root but it absolutely has to be galanga root.