Tom Kha Gai Recipe: Thai Coconut Shrimp Soup

This tom kha gai recipe (sometimes spelled tom ka gai) is a wholesome soup that will nourish your body AND your taste buds! From start to finish, tom kha gai soup takes less than 30 minutes, prep included. Insane for a soup and definitely weeknight-friendly. This Thai coconut shrimp soup is incredibly flavorful – it’s seasoned with lime, garlic, fish sauce, peppers, cilantro, and coconut milk. Creamy, a bit spicy, bright, and rich all at the same time. Thai shrimp soup makes a great starter for an Asian-inspired meal, or double the recipe and serve it as a main course soup.

What Is Tom Kha Gai?

Tom Kha Gai is a creamy Thai coconut soup – and it’s super flavorful.

Traditionally, this soup requires kaffir lime leaves, galangal, and lemongrass. I find those ingredients hard to find, so I simplified the recipe. The good news is that it tastes just as good as the original, but it’s much easier to make. You probably already have most of these tom kha gai ingredients in your pantry!

How To Make Tom Kha Gai Soup

You’ll love two things about this recipe: it’s full of flavor AND so easy to make! Let me show yo how to make this tom kha gai recipe in no time at all:

• Stir fry the aromatics. Heat the coconut oil in a soup pot or dutch oven. Once it’s hot, add red pepper flakes, onion, cilantro stems, coconut sugar, coconut milk, and lime zest.
• Simmer the soup. Bring tom kha gai soup to a light simmer for about 5 minutes.
• Strain out the solids. Using a strainer or slotted spoon, remove the solids (cilantro stems and lime zest) from the soup.
• Cook shrimp and mushrooms. Add shrimp and mushrooms to the soup and simmer for another 5 minutes, until the mushrooms and shrimp are cooked through.
• Garnish the Thai shrimp soup. Top the soup with cilantro and chile peppers.

Do I Have To Use Shrimp For Tom Kha Gai Soup?

No, you don’t not have to use shrimp in this tom kha gai soup. You can omit the shrimp completely, or you could add some other proteins to this tom kha gai soup instead:

• Chicken –  If you don’t like seafood, try chicken! It adds plenty of protein with a mild flavor.
• Scallops – Tom kha gai is lovely with scallops, and adds a silky smooth texture.
• Mussels – If you are a fan of mussels, they are a great match for this tom kha gai soup.
• Oysters – Adding oysters to this tom kha soup recipe will add flavor, but will also supply you some vitamin B12, iron, zinc, and many more nutrients.

How Do You Store Thai Coconut Shrimp Soup?

Store Thai coconut shrimp soup into an airtight bowl with a lid. This tom kha gai recipe will last around 3-5 days in the refrigerator.

You can heat it up by placing it in a soup pan with medium heat. Stir frequently and heat until hot. Alternatively, you can warm this tom kha gai recipe in the microwave, too.

Can You Freeze Thai Shrimp Soup?

Yes, you can freeze Thai shrimp soup. Simply let the soup cool completely, then place it in an airtight container or freezer bag. The soup will last 2-3 months in the freezer and makes excellent leftovers.

Defrost the soup in the fridge overnight, heat until hot, and enjoy!

More Paleo Soup Recipes

If you love a hot bowl of soup (who doesn’t?!), then you should try my other paleo soup recipes that are sure to warm you up. Each one is HEALTHY and packed full of delicious flavors you are going to want to taste.

• Green Chicken Chili Soup – I love red chili, but this one is great when you want a twist of flavor. Filling and slightly spicy, this soup is easy and flavorful.
• Paleo Chicken Pho With Noodles – If Asian soups are your thing, you’ve got to try this pho made paleo with zucchini noodles. This one will warm you up on chilly nights.
• Turmeric Carrot Soup – Sweet and earthy at the same time, this healthy soup is full of anti-inflammatory turmeric. Comfort food with a boost!
• Cantaloupe Gazpacho With Frizzled Prosciutto – Soups don’t always have to be served hot. This one is elegant and beautiful.

Tom Kha Gai Recipe: Thai Coconut Shrimp Soup:
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RECIPE CARD

4.88 from 8 votes

Tom Kha Gai Recipe: Thai Coconut Shrimp Soup

This Tom Kha Gai recipe is a creamy Thai coconut shrimp soup that explodes with flavor! Learn how to make Tom Kha Gai soup in just 20 minutes, with healthy, simple ingredients.

Course Main Course, Soup

Cuisine Asian

Keyword Thai Coconut Shrimp Soup, Thai Shrimp Soup, Tom Kha Gai recipe, Tom Kha Gai soup

Calories 467 kcal

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 20 minutes

Author Maya Krampf from WickedSpatula.com

Servings 4 servings

★ Review Print

Ingredients

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• 1 tablespoon Coconut oil
• 1/4 teaspoon Red pepper flakes
• 2 13.5-oz cans Full-fat coconut milk
• 1 handful Fresh cilantro stems (not the leaves)
• 1 tablespoon Coconut sugar
• 1/4 medium White onion (sliced)
• 1 medium Lime (both zest and juice)
• 2 cloves Garlic
• 4 ounces Button mushrooms (thinly sliced)
• 3 tablespoons Fish sauce
• 4 ounces Shrimp or chicken (optional)
• 1 Thai chili pepper (for garnish; or serrano pepper)

Click to convert between US & metric measurements:

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

More TIPS about this paleo recipe in the post above!

1. In a medium soup pot or dutch oven heat the coconut oil over medium high heat with the red pepper flakes. Once hot stir in the coconut milk, onion, sugar, cilantro stems, and lime zest.

2. Let simmer for 5 minutes and then strain out the solids.

3. Return soup to pot and stir in remaining ingredients. Simmer 5 minutes until the mushrooms are soft and the protein is cooked through.

4. Garnish with cilantro and chilies.

Recipe Notes

Serving size: ~1 cup, or 1/4 the entire recipe

Nutrition Information Per Serving

Nutrition Facts

Amount per serving. Serving size in recipe notes above.

Calories 467

Fat 44g

Protein 11g

Total Carbs 12g

Net Carbs 12g

Fiber 0g

Sugar 3g

Where does nutrition info come from? Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy, sourced from the USDA Food Database. Net carb count excludes both fiber and sugar alcohols (though the latter are rarely seen on this site), because these do not affect blood sugar in most people. We try to be accurate, but feel free to make your own calculations.

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