Which Thai soup is made with coconut milk, chicken, and galangal?

The Thai soup made with coconut milk, chicken, and galangal is Tom Kha Kai.

Tom Kha Kai is a hot, sour, creamy soup whose name refers to its key identity: “tom” means to boil, “kha” means galangal, and “kai” means chicken. Its characteristic broth combines coconut milk with galangal, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, chilies, lime juice, fish sauce, and mushrooms. The result is fragrant and tangy, with a softer richness than many clear Thai soups.

Tom kha developed from older coconut-based preparations. The earliest recorded version, dating to around 1890, was tom kha pet, made with duck and young galangal. Chicken later became the most familiar protein, producing tom kha kai. Seafood, pork, mushrooms, and tofu versions also exist.

A common mix-up is Tom Yum. Both soups use aromatic herbs and sour, spicy flavors, but Tom Kha Kai is defined by coconut milk, while Tom Yum is typically a clear broth. “Kha” is galangal, not ordinary ginger, although ginger is sometimes used as a substitute.