Gluten Free Tom Kha Gai is a comforting creamy and delicious Thai soup. You can use chicken or shrimp or a combo if you like!

This is one of our favorite quick-to-make meals. It is so creamy and tangy, just typing this makes me want to whip up a pot of it! We first had this delicious soup with friends at a Thai restaurant 5 or 6 years ago. We had never really had Thai food because the first time we tried it as a married couple, my husband got food poisoning and swore off Thai food. Fast forward 15 years later and we got invited to dinner and tried it again! I am so thankful we did try it because so many of the options in Thai cooking are gluten-free.
When I make Tom Kha Gai, we usually arm wrestle a little over who gets the leftovers. I also love that you can change the protein you add to the soup based on what you have and or are in the mood for. I always put chicken breast in the soup and that is how I have had it at restaurants too. This time I added pink shrimp. I have also added scallops or crab meat. If you add scallops, be sure not to overcook them as they get rubbery.
Sometimes we like to pair this with Jasmine Rice or Cauliflower rice.
The History of Tom Kha Gai:
Tom Kha Gai means Chicken Galangal soup according to Wikipedia. In Thailand, most tom kha gai recipes typically include coconut milk, galangal, kaffir lime leaves, lemongrass, Thai chili peppers, coriander (or dill weed), straw mushrooms (or shiitake or other mushrooms), chicken, fish sauce, and lime juice.
I hope you love this soup as much as we do. You can adjust the spice by adding or subtracting the chili paste or by adding in fresh chopped Thai Chilies. I usually make ours to a 2/5 heat level. But we don’t love super spicy food so feel free to spice things up a bit!
INGREDIENTS
- 1 can of Full-fat coconut milk If you like it extra creamy, add 2 cans of coconut milk.
- 1 box Organic Chicken Stock
- 2 Chicken Breasts Shredded If you are in a hurry you can use rotisserie chicken
- 2 cups pink shrimp if you want to use shrimp
- 1 stalk Lemongrass cut in half to release the flavor.
- 1 nub Ginger peeled and chopped into small pieces
- 1 pkg White mushrooms chopped
- 1 pkg Cremini mushrooms chopped
- 2 tsp fish sauce
- 1/2 cup lime juice
- 1 handful of basil leaves chopped
- 1 handful of Cilantro chopped
- 2 green onions chopped
- 1 TSP Chili Paste- more or less to taste.
- If you like it a little sweeter, add in 1 TBSP of sugar or a few drops of liquid Monkfruit sweetener.
INSTRUCTIONS
- In a large pot, add avocado or olive oil and saute the chicken. Cook until it’s reached a safe temperature and remove from pan. Shread.
- Add coconut milk, chicken stock, ginger, fish sauce, lime juice, chili paste, and lemongrass. Simmer.
- Add chicken to the liquid and continue to simmer. Add mushrooms. Continue to cook for about 5 minutes. Then skip to herbs if you aren’t adding shrimp or add shrimp and continue cooking.
- If you are adding shrimp add about 7 minutes before serving so they don’t get overcooked.
- Add cilantro, basil, and green onions right before serving.
- Garnish with more cilantro, basil, and green onions if you like.
- Enjoy!
- If you want to make this in the crockpot, you can add all of the ingredients but use precooked chicken and or shrimp. Do not add the shrimp until just before serving or they will be soggy.
PRINTABLE RECIPE:
Gluten Free Tom Ka Gai
Course: Crockpot, Dinner, Lunch, SoupDifficulty: Easy6
servings15
minutes30
minutesIngredients
1 can of Full-fat coconut milk If you like it extra creamy, add 2 cans of coconut milk.
1 box Organic Chicken Stock
2 Chicken Breasts Shredded If you are in a hurry you can use rotisserie chicken
2 cups pink shrimp if you want to use shrimp
1 stalk Lemongrass cut in half to release the flavor.
1 nub Ginger peeled and chopped into small pieces
1 pkg White mushrooms chopped
1 pkg Cremini mushrooms chopped
2 tsp fish sauce
1/2 cup lime juice
1 handful of basil leaves chopped
1 handful of Cilantro chopped
2 green onions chopped
1 TSP Chili Paste- more or less to taste.
If you like it a little sweeter, add in 1 TBSP of sugar or a few drops of liquid Monkfruit sweetener.
Directions
- In a large pot, add avocado or olive oil and saute the chicken. Cook until it’s reached a safe temperature and remove from pan. Shread.
Add coconut milk, chicken stock, ginger, fish sauce, lime juice, chili paste, and lemongrass. Simmer.
Add chicken to the liquid and continue to simmer. Add mushrooms. Continue to cook for about 5 minutes. Then skip to herbs if you aren’t adding shrimp or add shrimp and continue cooking.
If you are adding shrimp add about 7 minutes before serving so they don’t get overcooked.
Add cilantro, basil, and green onions right before serving.
Garnish with more cilantro, basil, and green onions if you like.
Enjoy!
If you want to make this in the crockpot, you can add all of the ingredients but use precooked chicken and or shrimp. Do not add the shrimp until just before serving or they will be soggy.
As Always,
Best Wishes for Gluten Free Dishes!
XO,
Michelle