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AIP Tom Kha Gai is that Thai coconut chicken soup everyone loves — with the comfort food flavors of coconut milk, fresh lime juice, ginger, lemongrass and a buttery chicken stock. This nightshade-free version is also Paleo, Whole30, Keto and Gluten-free. Glorious to serve to most people.
Use your Instant Pot or stove top to make this easy, delicious dinner.
The Keto version has just 2 grams net carbs per serving!
Ingredients in AIP Tom Kha Gai
This AIP version of Tom Kha Gai is just perfect: You’ll never miss the nightshades!
Rich and so delicious that even kids will ask for seconds, this is one soup that everyone I know loves. It was a privilege to create the nightshade-free version. There’s just no reason this soup needs peppers. So much flavor and perfection happens without them.
The ingredients in AIP Tom Kha Gai are:
- chicken
- water — The water, chicken and sea salt (listed below) combine to create a rich meat stock.
- veggies — Ideally zucchini and mushrooms, but also celery, and it’s okay to use other veggies you like or have on hand.
- water chestnuts — These are optional but have such a nice crunch. Leave them out for the Keto version.
- coconut milk — Full fat (not lite).
- lime juice — Fresh.
- coconut aminos
- fish sauce — Use Red Boat brand — such a wonderful ingredient. If you haven’t used fish sauce before, it’s not fishy in the soup, but imparts an important flavor profile to this authentic tasting dish.
- ginger — Fresh is best, but you can use ground in a pinch (no pun intended).
- sea salt — This recipe uses a fair bit of sea salt, because the stock base of the soup is made from chicken, water and sea salt. The product is rich, balanced, buttery and delicious.
- fresh cilantro, for garnish
How to make the Instant Pot or stove top versions
INSTANT POT
If you have an Instant Pot, that’s the easiest and fastest way to make this recipe. It’s what we call a Dump and Cook recipe with very little hands on work. And the cook time is just 15 minutes.
Here is the model of Instant Pot that I have.
You place about half of the ingredients into the insert: chicken, water, salt, veggies — and cook. When the timer goes off, the chicken, water and sea salt have actually created a rich, flavorful stock — full of gelatin, and no broth was needed to make this soup!
After opening the lid, you’ll add the fresh-tasting ingredients that make this soup famous: coconut milk, fresh lime juice, fresh ginger and optional lemongrass essential oil. Also the fish sauce and coconut amino acids, which we want to stay strong and rich; they shouldn’t be cooked, just warmed.
About lemongrass
This AIP Tom Kha Gai recipe gives you the choice: You can use fresh lemongrass, if you know where to buy it. It’s REALLY easy to work with, and I give that option below (with guidelines in the recipe Notes).
Or you can use 2 shakes of lemongrass EO, and of course, that’s easiest route. The high fat coconut milk in Tom Kha Gai absorbs the herbal oil — and equally and gently distributes the flavor throughout the soup. But not everyone likes to cook with essential oils, so please look for lemongrass at your natural food or Asian grocery store, if you prefer.
STOVE TOP
The stove top version takes about 30 minutes of cooking, but no more prep work than the Instant Pot version.
You’ll just make the meat stock in a large sauce pan or medium size stock pot, the same way you would in the IP: Place chicken, water and sea salt in the pot. Simmer for 20 minutes, covered, then add the veggies and cook for another 10 minutes. Pretty hands off!
Then, same next step, you’ll add the fresh ingredients.
BOTH VERSIONS
After the chicken cooks and the meat stock is made, you’ll remove the chicken from the pot using tongs, allow it to cool a little; then chop it into bite-size pieces.
And then, what makes AIP Tom Kha Gai so delicious is the fresh ingredients that are added at the very end: coconut milk, coconut aminos, fresh lime juice and ginger.
The chicken is added back to the pot. And it’s all topped with fresh cilantro.
The result is popular Thai flavors: creamy, spicy stock with delicious meat and veggies.
I garnished mine in the photos with a little dark granulated sweetener.
How my family likes this soup
My favorite thing about this soup is how much my family loves it. I make a lot of soups and spent three years creating this soup cookbook; PLUS, we owned a soup café for years. So my kids have eaten a lot of soup. (Not to mention 6 years on the GAPS diet, LOL.)
But when I make this soup, my kids get genuinely enthusiastic. The day I made the soup to take these photos, my teenage son said, “This is really good, Mom.” Ten minutes later, still eating, “This is really good, Mom.” Hilarious.
So yes, your family, your kids, everyone should like this. The flavors are just so good. And the soup is satisfying.
What to serve with Tom Kha Gai
Obviously not high in carbs or bready type textures, you may like to serve AIP Tom Kha Gai with muffins (AIP or Keto), a variation on rice or some other bread. (AIP bread here or bread rolls here, Keto Bread Rolls here, AIP Biscuits here.)
Also, it’s great with refreshing cold veggies. We eat a lot of cucumbers around here, and I love Thai soups with a side of them. To make it pretty and fun, make a veggie-fruit plate with fresh berries, raw veggies or pickled veggies.
How to store leftover AIP Tom Kha Gai
Honestly, this soup is best fresh! Because what makes it so special is all of the dynamic, fresh flavors.
But, you can definitely enjoy leftovers. Keep sealed in the fridge for up to 3 days. Simply reheat gently; do not simmer.
To freeze, store in sealed container. Defrost overnight in the fridge.
AIP Tom Kha Gai (Paleo, Whole30, Keto and Gluten-free)
Equipment
- Instant Pot /pressure cooker or saucepan/stock pot
Ingredients
- 5 cups water
- 3 pounds chicken thighs, boneless and skinless
- 4 cups veggies zucchini, mushrooms and celery preferred, sliced
- 8 ounces water chestnuts canned, rinsed, optional (omit for Keto)
- 1 can (15 ounces) coconut milk full fat, not Lite
- 3 green onions sliced
- 1 lime juiced
- 3 Tablespoons ginger fresh, minced or grated; or use 2 teaspoons dried ginger powder, if you can't access fresh ginger
- 2 Tablespoons coconut aminos
- 1 Tablespoon + 1 teaspoon sea salt (This combines with the chicken and water to create a rich chicken stock.)
- 1 Tablespoon fish sauce Red Boat brand
- 1 Tablespoon coconut sugar ; for Keto, use 5 drop stevia OR "brown sugar" low carb granulated sweetener
- 2 shakes (a little over 2 drops) lemongrass essential oil OR one stalk of fresh lemongrass (see recipe Notes below for how-to)
- ¼ cup cilantro or mint, fresh, for garnish
Instructions
INSTANT POT VERSION
- Add to Instant Pot insert: water, chicken, veggies, fresh lemongrass (if using) and sea salt. (If you're using dried ginger powder, add it now too.)
- Put on lid. Shut steam valve. Choose "Stew" button, then decrease time to 15 minutes. When timer goes off, allow steam to release naturally for 45 minutes (if you have the time); otherwise, carefully do a quick release. (Press "Cancel" button. A dish towel or hot pad can be helpful to carefully open steam valve.)
- Use tongs to remove thighs to cutting board. Cut into bite-size pieces and return to pot.
- Add most of the remaining ingredients to the pot also: optional water chestnuts, coconut milk, green onions, lime juice, fresh ginger, coconut aminos, fish sauce, coconut sugar (or low carb sweetener for Keto) and lemongrass EO if you're using it.
- Stir well, serve, and garnish with fresh cilantro.
STOVE TOP VERSION
- Place into medium stock pot or large saucepan: chicken, water and sea salt. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to low or medium-low to maintain a slow simmer, and cover. (If you're using fresh lemongrass and/or dried ginger powder, add those now too.) Cook gently for 20 minutes. Then remove lid, add veggies (zucchini, mushrooms and celery), and gently cook for another 10 minutes.
- Remove chicken with tongs, to cutting board. When cool enough to handle, chop into bite-size pieces.
- Add chicken back to soup pot with most of the remaining ingredients: optional water chestnuts, coconut milk, green onions, lime juice, fresh ginger, coconut aminos, fish sauce, coconut sugar (or low carb sweetener for Keto) and lemongrass EO if you're using it.
- Stir well, serve, and garnish with fresh cilantro.
tina says
Yum! I love Tom Kha Gai, and love that this is an AIP version!
Megan Stevens says
Thanks, Tina! Me too. 🙂
Jean Choi says
One of my favorite soups! This is absolute perfection.
Megan says
Great, Jean, thank you!! So glad the soup’s perfect for you! 🙂
Bernice Carbaugh says
Haven’t tried the recipe yet but I just printed it out so I can make it after Christmas! Sounds simple enough even for me, and so delicious! Thanks Meg!
Megan says
Yay, great, Bernice! That makes me happy. Yes, simple and delicious. Maybe let us know how you liked it after making it… ! 🙂
S says
Do you think this would be possible in a slow cooker?
Megan says
Hi and yes, you’d add the ingredients from Step 1 to the slow cooker on Low setting for 6 to 8 hours, and then add the ingredients from the final steps at the end before serving. Good question, and enjoy!
Julie says
Oh my, I can’t stop eating this! Thank you for such a delicious combination of flavors, I’ve been missing Thai food so much. My only change of note was adding slices of the green part of leeks instead of the green onions (I prefer the flavor and texture), and powdered lemongrass instead of either fresh or EO (just what I happened to have.) My taste buds and tummy thank you :-).
Megan says
Great, Julie, so happy you love it so much!! Thanks for sharing your changes!
jen says
Ooooh loving this one and your mindful swaps for some ingredients! My boys love Tom Kha Gai too — yummy!
Megan says
Thanks, Jen!
Erin says
I can’t wait to try this! And ooh, green onions. I wasn’t supposed to eat them a few years ago and totally forgot about their existence. Time to bring those back! Why do some people not like to cook with essential oils? I’ve never done it and thought it sounded super flavorful and am interested. I’ll do some research. Thank you for this recipe! I’ll report back when I try it.
Megan says
Haha, yes, so funny about foods we forget about. Enjoy the green onions when you bring them back; they’re so good. So about EOs, if they’re taken with water, not in a carrier oil (like a fat-based dish), then it’s true that they have the potential to be not gentle — just like using EOs neat on top of our skin can be dangerous. But in a fat-based soup, they’re gentle and an easy way to cook (to add whopping special flavor to dishes). Lemongrass EO is actually my favorite one to use; it’s SUPER delicious, and I find it to be very gentle. I also use it here, in this GAPS diet soup, in a meat stock that’s high in fat, and it makes drinking bone broth just so delicious: https://eatbeautiful.net/nourishing-gaps-diet-soup/ Thanks for sharing your results when you get a chance to make the soup!
raia says
So comforting and delicious! I love that you’ve included Instant Pot and stove top directions. Thank you!
Megan says
You’re welcome, Raia! I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe!
StaceyCrawford says
This is a super tasty soup to make in my IP. We loved the flavor.
Megan says
Great, Stacey!! Thank you for coming back to comment, so appreciated! Yes, I love the ease of using the Instant Pot, too! 🙂
Kelly says
The perfect bowl of soup! So many delicious flavors! Comforting and so easy to make!
Megan says
Great, Kelly! Thanks so much for sharing!
Donny says
This is seriously one of my favorite soups of all time! Thanks for this easy recipe.
Megan says
Yay Donny! So glad! (One of my favorites of all time too! 🙂 ) Thanks for coming back to comment! And I agree, I love that it’s so easy to make! 🙂
Jacwylyn says
This might be a random question, but is there a difference in the intensity of the flavor of the soup if you could it in the instant pot rather than on the stove? I know there is when I make beans.
Megan says
Hi Jacwylyn, it’s a good question. I think with this recipe the intensity of the flavors is fresh and lively either way, because the really vibrantly-flavored ingredients are added and stirred in at the end.
Glen Carmichael says
I wish you mentioned where to add the water chestnuts. I forgot them completely…
Megan says
Oh no, Glen! I’m so sorry! I’ll make that correction now, and I’m sorry I missed that. I hope you loved the soup otherwise.
Suzy says
We love this soup! Curious if it would freeze ok?
Megan says
Hi Suzy, yay! Yes, it will freeze fine, but the main thing is to wait to add certain fresh ingredients: the lime juice, fresh green onions and fresh cilantro. That will “awaken” the soup once it’s reheated. 🙂 If you’re wanting to freeze leftovers that already have these ingredients added in, you may wish to add more after tasting it, once reheated.
Suzy says
Great! Thank you so much for your reply. I am making this soup again tomorrow. I will leave out the fresh ingredients you mentioned, in order to freeze it.
Megan says
Great, Suzy, you’re welcome! 🙂
Kamryn says
Soup was easy and yummy.. fresh. The flavor is a little light, but fixed with a little extra seasoning. I loved the soup and made this recipe for one person and had SO MUCH leftover. Today is the day after, the chicken in the soup is absolute mush. A little disappointed because I figured it would be okay for up to three days. Other than that, it’s a delicious recipe!
Megan says
Hi Kamryn, thanks for the review and so glad you loved the recipe, and yes, way too much for one person. Maybe next time you can half the recipe, or even quarter it; I’m sorry the leftovers weren’t good for you.
Heather says
I came to the comments section looking to see if anyone had tried making this with white fish instead of chicken… which I know makes it a different soup, but I was looking for an AIP fish curry recipe and I know yours are always flavorful. I have some cod and will probably give it a go tomorrow… have you ever made it with fish?
Megan says
Hi Heather, yes, I have, and that recipe is in my soups cookbook. Main thing is to add the fish at the very end over low heat, and poach is slowly with the lid on. 🙂
Heather says
Just to note, I would use some already made broth, and reduce cooking time, rather than try to make a broth with the cod.
Jessica says
I don’t normally leave reviews, but I just had to for this recipe! Since discovering it, I have made it well over 10 times in the past 3 months. It is now a family favorite that is requested. Very flavorful, and leaves you full without feeling weighed down. It also freezes very well for those who are wondering! I usually double or triple the recipe and freeze the excess for quick lunches. Lastly, I enjoy adding some cooked cassava noodles just before serving when I am craving a carb. Thanks for this one!
Megan says
Great to hear, Jessica! Thanks so much for sharing, and I’m so glad to hear your details! 🙂
Shauna says
This is delicious! I made it as the recipe said to and it was really good. I used cassava orzo pasta to be my “rice” on the bottom of the soup. My family won’t eat most of my food but I bet they’d eat this, it’s that good. I also just came back from Thailand and had this soup there a couple times and it tastes pretty similar in my opinion. thank you for sharing this recipe!
Megan says
Sounds great, Shauna, thank you for sharing your experience! So glad you loved the soup!