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Tom kha gai is Thai coconut chicken soup with tender chicken, vegetables, lemongrass, ginger, lime, and a creamy coconut broth. This Full GAPS stovetop version begins with completed homemade chicken meat stock and homemade full-fat coconut milk, then builds the salty, sour, savory balance with qualifying fish sauce and coconut aminos.

The recipe makes eight servings. It uses three pounds of boneless chicken thighs and four cups of sliced zucchini, mushrooms, and celery, so it lands as a full family meal rather than a thin starter. Optional natural honey softens the lime and fish sauce; fresh cilantro or mint finishes the bowl.

In our working, homeschooling family of eight, soup is easiest when the components are ready before the burner comes on. I set out the finished stock, slice the vegetables, prepare the lemongrass, measure the coconut milk, and line up the finishing ingredients. Then the pot can move straight from the chicken simmer to vegetables and finally to the off-heat coconut finish.

Watch the pot for a bare simmer rather than a hard boil. The chicken should turn opaque and become easy to cut, the vegetables should remain distinct and tender, and the finished broth should look pale and creamy without separating. Lime, ginger, and lemongrass should smell bright when the heat is off.

Tom kha gai Thai coconut chicken soup for Full GAPS

Where Tom Kha Gai Fits on GAPS

This soup is for Full GAPS after every named ingredient is introduced and tolerated. It relies on completed GAPS chicken meat stock, not water from simmering boneless thighs and not long-cooked bone broth.

Use homemade full-fat coconut milk. Choose coconut aminos with a simple ingredient list and traditional fermented fish sauce made only from fish or anchovies, sea salt, and water. Leave out products containing sugar, soy, starch, flavor enhancers, preservatives, or an undisclosed “natural flavor” blend.

This is the gentle stovetop route. Keep the stock at a quiet simmer and cook the chicken and vegetables in sequence. A pressure-cooker variation is not included in this post or card.

Prepare the Ingredients Before Heating

Measure five cups completed chicken meat stock and three pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs. Slice four cups total zucchini, mushrooms, and celery. The pieces should be similar enough in thickness to become tender during the same ten-minute vegetable cook.

Weigh fifteen ounces homemade full-fat coconut milk. Slice three green onions, juice one lime, and prepare either three tablespoons fresh grated ginger or two teaspoons pure ground ginger. Measure two tablespoons coconut aminos and one tablespoon qualifying fermented fish sauce.

Set aside up to one tablespoon natural honey if you want a softer finish, plus one-quarter cup cilantro or mint and eight ounces diced fresh cucumber if using it. The cucumber stays fresh and is added at the table; it does not simmer in the soup.

Measured tom kha gai ingredients with Le Creuset stainless stockpot

Prepare Fresh Lemongrass

Cut off the long top of one fresh lemongrass stalk and keep it. Peel the outer layers from the bottom three inches until the core is pale and tender. Trim away the very bottom bulb end.

Smash the tender bottom section with the flat back of a heavy knife or a rolling pin until it cracks and releases its citrus scent. Add both the top piece and the smashed bottom to the pot. They flavor the stock but remain too fibrous to eat, so count both pieces and remove both before serving.

Simmer the Chicken Gently

Put the chicken meat stock, chicken thighs, sea salt, and both lemongrass pieces in a large stainless-steel stockpot. If you are using ground ginger, add it now. Use less than the measured one tablespoon plus one teaspoon salt when the completed stock is already salted.

Bring the stock slowly to a simmer, then lower the heat until only small bubbles rise around the edges and occasionally break the center. Cover and cook gently for twenty minutes. A rolling boil tightens the chicken and clouds the broth.

After twenty minutes, the outside of each thigh should be completely opaque. The center will finish as the vegetables cook. Keep the lid close to the pot so the stock does not reduce rapidly.

Add the Vegetables for the Final Ten Minutes

Remove the lid and add the four cups sliced vegetables. Return the pot to the same quiet simmer and cook gently for ten minutes. The zucchini should soften without collapsing, the mushrooms should darken and shrink slightly, and the celery should lose its raw crunch while keeping its shape.

Lift one thigh onto a clean board and cut into the thickest section. The meat should be opaque throughout and the juices should run clear. If it is still translucent, return it to the simmer and check again before cutting the batch.

Chicken and vegetables gently simmering with lemongrass

Finish the Soup Off Heat

Transfer all the chicken to a wooden cutting board and cut it into bite-size pieces. Remove both lemongrass pieces from the pot and discard them. Return the chicken to the vegetables and stock.

Turn off the heat. Stir in the homemade coconut milk, green onions, lime juice, fresh ginger if using it, coconut aminos, and fish sauce. Add natural honey only if you want it, up to one tablespoon. The broth should become pale, creamy, and fragrant as the finishing ingredients disperse.

Warm the soup through with the burner off or over the gentlest residual heat. Do not return it to a simmer. Taste for the balance of salty fish sauce, bright lime, ginger, and lemongrass before adding any more salt.

The finished broth should coat the spoon lightly while remaining fluid. If coconut fat is floating in separate pale beads, stir gently and let the residual heat bring the mixture together. Do not chase a perfectly white broth by adding more coconut milk; the stock, vegetables, and fish sauce naturally tint it.

Smell the spoonful before tasting it. Lemongrass and lime should arrive first, followed by ginger and savory chicken. Fish sauce should deepen the soup without smelling harsh. When one flavor dominates, adjust only after the measured finishing ingredients are fully mixed: a squeeze of lime brightens a flat bowl, while a small portion of the optional honey softens an overly sharp edge.

Serving and Storage

Ladle the soup into deep bowls and finish with fresh cilantro or mint. Add diced cucumber at the table for a cool crisp contrast. A plate of raw or fermented vegetables can sit alongside the soup.

Tom kha gai is best fresh, while lime, ginger, and lemongrass still smell bright. Refrigerate leftovers in a sealed glass container for up to two days. Reheat gently on the stove and stop before the broth simmers.

For longer storage, freeze the cooled soup in a freezer-safe glass container with room for expansion. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator and warm slowly. Stir gently if the coconut fat rises while chilled.

Recommended Equipment

Use a ten-quart Le Creuset Classic stainless-steel stockpot or another large GAPS-compatible stainless pot with lid; a digital kitchen scale; glass measuring jug; dry and liquid measuring cups and spoons; cutting board; stainless-steel chef’s knife and paring knife; rolling pin or heavy knife for lemongrass; tongs; slotted spoon; ladle; and covered glass storage containers.

The wide stockpot gives the chicken and vegetables room to simmer without crowding. A wooden board keeps the cooked chicken separate from the raw-meat surface; wash the raw-meat board and knife before reusing them.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Fish Sauce Allowed on GAPS?

Use a traditionally fermented fish sauce made only from fish or anchovies, sea salt, and water. Skip sauces containing sugar, MSG, preservatives, soy, starch, or added flavoring.

Why Add Coconut Milk and Lime Off Heat?

The finishing ingredients warm through without boiling. That keeps the coconut broth smooth and preserves the fresh lime, ginger, scallion, fish-sauce, and coconut-amino balance.

Can I Use Dried Ginger?

Yes. Use two teaspoons pure ground ginger instead of three tablespoons fresh ginger. Add ground ginger at the start with the stock and chicken.

Can I Use Bone Broth Instead of Meat Stock?

Use five cups completed homemade chicken meat stock for this Full GAPS formula. Bone broth has a different protocol role and does not replace the measured meat stock here.

Do I Have to Add Honey?

No. Honey is optional and capped at one tablespoon. Taste the off-heat soup after lime, fish sauce, and coconut aminos are mixed, then add only what you want.

Can I Make This in a Pressure Cooker?

This post and card use the gentle stovetop method. Keep the chicken and vegetables at a quiet simmer and follow the measured thirty-minute cooking sequence.

Tom Kha Gai Recipe