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Thai Coconut Chicken Soup (Tom Kha Gai)

Thai Coconut Chicken Soup (Tom Kha Gai) reads umami 7.4, funk & ferment 5.7 and salinity 5.7 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Thai main, about 20 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

• Umami & Savory — 9.0 / 10
• Sweet & Fruity — 3.9 / 10
• Sour & Bright — 6.6 / 10
• Bitter & Earthy — 2.9 / 10
• Rich & Fat — 5.6 / 10
• Aromatic & Spice — 3.8 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Umami 7.4 · Funk & Ferment 5.7 · Salinity 5.7 · Citrus 5.2 · Sourness 4.8 · Richness 4.8 · Marine & Briny 4.6 · Sweetness 3.4 · Herbaceous 3.1 · Allium 2.8 · Earthy 2.8 · Nutty 2.7 · Warm Spice 2.2 · Floral 2.0 · Heat 2.0 · Fruity 1.6 · Bitterness 0.9

What's in it (12)

• boneless chicken — 454 g
• cremini mushrooms — 227 g
• lemongrass — 80 g
• ginger — 45 g
• low-salt chicken broth — 946 g
• coconut milk — 765 g
• fish sauce — 44 g
• lime juice — 30 g
• light-brown sugar — 13 g
• fresh red chile pepper — 200 g
• salt — 5 g
• cilantro leaves — 15 g

Time & effort: about 20 min · effort: medium

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 92.3 kcal, 6.6 g protein, 6.5 g fat, 3 g carbs

Dietary: Contains meat · Contains dairy — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (8 steps)

1. Bruise the lemongrass stalks with the back of a knife to release their oils, then combine them with the ginger and chicken broth in a large pot. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat and cook until fragrant, about 5 minutes.
2. Pour in the coconut milk and add the chicken; return to a gentle simmer over medium heat (do not let it boil hard, or the coconut milk can break) and cook until the chicken is opaque and cooked through, 8-10 minutes, with the thickest piece reaching 165F.
3. Add the mushrooms and simmer until just tender, 4-5 minutes.
4. Stir in the fish sauce, brown sugar, and half the sliced chiles; simmer 2 minutes to let the flavors blend.
5. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the lime juice and zest -- adding the acid off the heat keeps the broth bright instead of muddled.
6. Taste the broth and season with salt as needed; it should taste bright, salty-sour, and rich all at once.
7. Fish out the large lemongrass pieces and ginger slices, since they are meant for aroma, not eating.
8. Ladle the soup into bowls and top with the remaining chiles and cilantro leaves; serve hot, with steamed rice alongside if you like.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

• Tom Ka Kai (Thai Coconut Chicken Soup) — Thai
• Coconut Curry Shrimp — Thai
• Coconut Curry Shrimp Pasta — Fusion
• Yellow Curry Chicken and Potatoes — Thai
• Green Curry With Shrimp And Fish (Kaeng Khiao) — Thai

Keep reading: what umami, funk & ferment, salinity mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.