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Keto Tom Kha Gai Soup

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Keto tom kha soup is a fragrant combination of savory chicken and mushrooms simmered in a coconut infused broth with lemongrass, ginger, and garlic. A splash of fish sauce and Thai chili paste adds a ton of flavor, and the whole recipe takes less than 30 minutes! This is a complete one pot meal and homemade low-carb alternative to eating at a Thai restaurant.

Thai Coconut Chicken Tom Kha Gai Soup - by Primal Edge Health.

What is Tom Kha Soup?

Tom kha soup is part of Thai cuisineโ€™s tom soup family. In basic terms, it is a creamy Thai coconut soup with chicken or shrimp. In our recipe here, we use chicken which is reflected in the term gai. Tom kha is most similar to tom yum soup but distinguished by adding coconut milk which creates a milky broth.

Is tom kha soup healthy?

As a mix of chicken and mushrooms simmered in bone broth flavored with aromatic ingredients and topped off with spicy Thai chili paste, this is a low-carb meal with fresh ingredients and naturally excludes many common allergens, making it healthy for many different diet types.

Not only is a coconut lemongrass soup recipe low-carb and great on a keto diet, but itโ€™s also a quick 30 minute meal you can make at home with simple grocery staples. Youโ€™ll be hard pressed to find a more flavorful, easy one pot soup to make for dinner!

Bowl of yellow soup on a blue place on wooden surface.

How to Make Tom Kha Soup

I adapted a traditional recipe for modern convenience and keto macros. You can find all ingredients at a local grocery store without needing to drive around town looking for specialty products for your delicious keto tom kha gai soup recipe.

What is in Tom Kha Soup

Lemongrass – Head to the fresh produce aisle at the grocery store for this ingredient and look for a green stalk, likely positioned next to the ginger or near specialty produce. If your shop doesnโ€™t have the fresh item, 2 tsp of lemongrass paste may be substituted instead.

Coconut oil – A complimentary oil for cooking the ingredients before adding the broth.

Ginger and garlic – Fragrant add-ins for Thai food!

Chicken breast – Boneless and skinless chicken breast or with skin on if you like that. Slice it before adding it to the soup.

Mushrooms – Your standard button mushroom, cremini, will work just fine, although straw mushrooms are more traditional in Asian soup.

Chicken broth – Full of flavor and nutrients, chicken broth builds the base of this soup.

Coconut milk – Canned coconut milk is something nice to keep in your pantry for both a keto diet and cooking Thai food. Choose a brand of full-fat coconut milk for best results.

Fish sauce – All major grocery stores stock fish sauce. You can find it in the Asian food aisle or as an employee for help. Small independent Asian grocers are also sure to carry it since itโ€™s a staple ingredient in so many Asian dishes.

Thai chili paste – Wherever you go to buy fish sauce, will also stock Thai chili paste. Substitute with red curry paste or tom yum paste.

Lime juice – One squirt for an exquisite flavor! The juice of approximately one-half lime is all you need.

Cilantro – Mince fresh leaves for garnish

Yellow soup with meat in a bowl with spoon on blue plate.

Step-By-Step Directions

Follow these simple directions for keto thai coconut soup, and you canโ€™t go wrong.

Saute until fragrant

Start the keto Thai soup off by preparing the lemongrass. Trim the root tip and peel off the thick fibrous outer layers until you reveal the inner core. Discard the scraps and finely slice the stalk into rings.

Now, turn the stove to medium heat and heat the coconut oil in the bottom of a 2-quart pot. Add the lemongrass, peeled and sliced ginger, and minced garlic. Cook for 60 to 90 seconds until fragrant.

Simmer

Next, add sliced chicken and mushrooms to the pot. Then, immediately stir in broth, coconut milk, fish sauce, and chili paste. Finally, bring the soup to a simmer and cook for 8 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.

Now this creamy coconut chicken soup is ready to serve! See how quick that is? Remove the soup from heat. Squeeze the lime juice and stir to combine. Serve warm in bowls with cilantro garnish.

Bowl of yellow soup on a wooden surface with spoon and white cloth.

Nutritional Info for Low Carb Tom Kha Soup

There are four total servings of keto thai chicken soup in this recipe.

Each serving contains:

  • 27 g protein
  • 5 g fat
  • 5 g total carbs
  • 0.5 g fiber
  • 3.5 g net carbs

There are 178 calories in tom kha soup

How many carbs in tom kha soup?

Recipes will vary with ingredients. This low-carb version has only 5 grams total carb, 0.5 g fiber, and 3.5 g net carb per serving.

The nutritional value will change if you substitute ingredients. Use a nutrition app like to recalculate and reflect your changes.

Yellow soup served with spoon in a bowl.

More Keto Soup Recipes

Yellow soup with meat in a bowl with spoon on blue plate.

Keto Tom Kha Soup Recipe

Keto tom kha soup is a fragrant combination of savory chicken and mushrooms simmered in a coconut infused broth with lemongrass, ginger, and garlic. A splash of fish sauce and Thai chili paste adds a ton of flavor, and the whole recipe takes less than 30 minutes! This is a complete one pot meal and homemade low-carb alternative to eating at a Thai restaurant.
5 from 57 votes
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Course Dinner, Soup
Cuisine Asian, Thai
Servings 4
Calories 178 kcal

Ingredients
 
 

  • 2 sticks lemongrass
  • 2 teaspoons coconut oil
  • 1 inch ginger peeled and grated
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 pound chicken breast thinly sliced
  • 4 ounces mushrooms stem removed, sliced
  • 3 cups chicken broth
  • 1 (14-ounce) can coconut milk
  • 2 tablespoons fish sauce
  • 1 tablespoon thai chili paste
  • 1 teaspoon lime juice about ยฝ lime squeezed
  • 2 tablespoons cilantro minced

Instructions
 

  • Prepare the lemongrass by trimming the root tip and peeling off the thick fibrous outer layers until you reveal the inner core. Discard the scraps and finely slice the stalk into rings.
    2 sticks lemongrass
  • Heat the coconut oil in the bottom of a 2-quart pot over medium heat. Add the lemongrass, ginger, and garlic. Cook for 60 to 90 seconds until fragrant.
    2 teaspoons coconut oil, 1 inch ginger, 2 cloves garlic
  • Add sliced chicken and mushrooms to the pot. Then, immediately stir in broth, coconut milk, fish sauce, and chili paste. Bring the soup to a simmer and cook for 8 minutes until chicken is cooked through.
    1 pound chicken breast, 4 ounces mushrooms, 3 cups chicken broth, 1 (14-ounce) can coconut milk, 2 tablespoons fish sauce, 1 tablespoon thai chili paste
  • Remove the soup from heat. Squeeze the lime juice and stir to combine. Serve warm in bowls with cilantro garnish.
    1 teaspoon lime juice, 2 tablespoons cilantro

Nutrition & Macros

Calories: 178kcalCarbohydrates: 5gProtein: 27gFat: 5gSaturated Fat: 2gSodium: 1494mgFiber: 0.4gNet Carbohydrates: 5g

To obtain the most accurate representation of the nutritional information in a given recipe, please calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients and amounts used, using your preferred nutrition calculator. Under no circumstances shall the this website and the author be responsible for any loss or damage resulting for your reliance on the given nutritional information.

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19 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Delicious soup!! I used some leftover rotisserie chicken and a ton of mushroom, very easy to make, will definitely be making this again!

  2. 5 stars
    Such a wonderful combination of flavors, I really enjoyed it! And it makes a perfect weeknight dinner, taking less than 30 minutes.

  3. 5 stars
    Who wouldn’t love this keto tom kha gai soup? It was so flavorful and delicious! Plus, it was so easy to make that whenever I crave it, I can easily make it. Such a great soup to try!

  4. 5 stars
    This soup transported me straight back to Thailand; the fragrant flavors are perfect. As soon as I see lemongrass in a recipe, you have my interest, and I’m so glad that I made this. Tom kha soup now doesn’t need to be something I only eat in Thailand now; it’s going to be a regular on the menu!

    1. Thanks for the review, Mandy. We love providing tasty recipes from around the world. This one is a favorite of mine too ๐Ÿ˜‰

  5. I made this last night and had 3 helpings. I could not stop eating it. One substitution I made is replacing cilantro with Thai basil. I loved the flavors. Nothing was overpowering and I might even double the lemongrass next time. Thank you for the simple, fast, delicious recipe!

    1. Awesome Michelle! I’m so happy to hear about your success with this keto soup recipe! Way to go! Also, I love the substitution of cilantro for Thai basil – perfect! Thanks for sharing.

  6. 5 stars
    We saw this recipe last week at Keto Cooking Wins over on MeWe and felt that we must include it on this weeks menu. We are very glad we did. Excellent taste with a very good mix of gentle spices. Not overbearing. Light and healthy. Thank you!! Consider it a regular addition. It adds to an ever-growing repertoire of delicious choices that leads one to a healthy lifestyle.

  7. 5 stars
    This recipe is totally different from how I usually cook at home, but it wasn’t complicated at all! Loved getting the taste of a restaurant meal, but at home and with good ingredients. My family was impressed.

  8. 5 stars
    Wow! This was such a unique and easy dish! I wasn’t sure about the lemongrass but it added the best flavor ๐Ÿ™‚

5 from 57 votes (48 ratings without comment)

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