Thai-Style Coconut Soup (Tom Kha Gai) — Made With Fresh Galangal From the Farm
Written by the family at 'Tween Towns Farm · Oxford, NC · Granville County
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Of all the things we grow in our greenhouse and fields here in Granville County, galangal is the one that surprises people the most. They pick it up at our market table, smell it, and say: "What is this?" It looks like ginger, but the aroma is completely different — piney, citrusy, almost medicinal in the best possible way.
The dish that showcases galangal better than any other is Tom Kha Gai — Thai coconut chicken soup. Galangal is not a background note in this dish. It is the soul of it. Without fresh galangal, you are making a different soup. With it, you understand immediately why this rhizome has been central to Southeast Asian cooking for centuries.
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What You Will Need
| Ingredient | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Fresh galangal | 6–8 thin slices | About 2 inches of root |
| Coconut milk | 2 cans (13.5 oz each) | Full-fat for best flavor |
| Chicken broth | 1 cup | Low-sodium preferred |
| Chicken thighs | 1 lb | Boneless, sliced thin |
| Fresh lemongrass | 2 stalks | Bruised and cut into 2-inch pieces |
| Kaffir lime leaves | 4–6 leaves | Fresh or frozen |
| Fish sauce | 2–3 tablespoons | Start with 2, adjust to taste |
| Lime juice | 3 tablespoons | Fresh squeezed |
| Sugar | 1 teaspoon | Balances the sourness |
| Thai chilies | 2–3 | Sliced; adjust for heat preference |
| Mushrooms | 8 oz | Oyster or cremini, sliced |
| Fresh cilantro | For garnish | |
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Instructions
Step 1 — Build the aromatic base. Combine coconut milk and chicken broth in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add galangal slices, lemongrass pieces, and kaffir lime leaves. Bring to a gentle simmer — do not boil. Simmer for 10 minutes to infuse the broth.
Step 2 — Add the chicken. Add sliced chicken and mushrooms to the simmering broth. Cook for 8–10 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.
Step 3 — Season. Add fish sauce, lime juice, sugar, and chilies. Taste and adjust — the soup should be a balance of salty, sour, and slightly sweet with a gentle heat.
Step 4 — Serve. Ladle into bowls. The galangal, lemongrass, and lime leaves are aromatics — they are left in the soup but not eaten. Garnish with fresh cilantro and a wedge of lime.
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A Note on Galangal vs. Ginger
People often ask if they can substitute ginger for galangal. You can, but the result is a different dish. Ginger is warm and spicy. Galangal is sharper, more citrusy, with a piney quality that is entirely its own. In Tom Kha Gai, galangal provides a flavor that ginger simply cannot replicate. If you have never cooked with fresh galangal before, this soup is the perfect introduction.
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A Note on Our Galangal
We grow galangal alongside ginger and turmeric in our greenhouse and fields in Oxford, North Carolina. All three rhizomes are raised without chemicals on our 40-acre farm in Granville County. Find fresh galangal and well-rooted starts at our table at the Carrboro Farmers' Market every Saturday from 7 AM to 12 PM.
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Find Us
'Tween Towns Farm · Oxford, NC · Granville County
Carrboro Farmers' Market · Saturdays 7 AM – 12 PM
Growing the right way since 1987.