Turkey Tom Kha Gai

Name: Turkey Tom Kha Gai
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 6 cups turkey broth; 2 stalks lemongrass, bruised and sliced; 1 (3 inch) piece fresh ginger, sliced; 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro stems; 2 kaffir lime leaves, sliced, or more to taste; ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes, or more to taste; 1 pound cooked turkey, cut into small cubes; 1 cup clamshell mushrooms, separated; 2 tablespoons fish sauce; 2 teaspoons palm sugar; 1 (13 ounce) can coconut milk; ¼ cup lime juice; ¼ cup green onions, chopped; 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves; ¼ teaspoon chili oil, or more to taste

Rating: 4.81 stars

27 Ratings
19 Reviews
4 Photos

One of the great blessings, and curses, of Thanksgiving is leftover turkey. That's where this spicy Thai coconut soup recipe comes in. This is my take on Tom Kha Gai, and as usual I make no claim as to its authenticity. I do know it tastes amazing and will make you forget you even roasted a turkey. Garnish with chili oil, cilantro leaves, and lime wedges.

By Chef John

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Recipe Summary

prep:

20 mins

cook:

35 mins

total:

55 mins

Servings:

Yield:

4 servings

Nutrition Info

Directions

Step 1

Combine turkey broth, lemongrass, ginger, cilantro stems, lime leaves, and red pepper flakes in a pot over medium-high heat. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until flavors blend, 20 to 30 minutes.

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Step 2

Stain broth mixture through a fine-mesh sieve, discard vegetables, and return broth to the pot.
Step 3

Stir turkey, mushrooms, fish sauce, and palm sugar into broth; simmer until mushrooms are tender and turkey absorbs broth flavor, about 15 minutes.
Step 4

Pour coconut milk, lime juice, green onions, and cilantro leaves into broth. Bring soup to a simmer and drizzle in chili oil.

Cook's Note:

You can use white sugar in place of palm sugar, if desired. You can use young lemon leaves in place of the lime leaves, if desired.

Nutrition Facts

Per Serving:

441 calories; protein 38.6g; carbohydrates 13.1g; fat 26.7g; cholesterol 95.2mg; sodium 2353.5mg. Full Nutrition

Reviews (19)

Most helpful positive review

gunnergirl

03/18/2015

I've only made this with chicken and chicken broth, but the flavor is fantastic! I make some basmati rice and serve the soup over it, and it's absolutely fantastic. My local stores don't have the lime leaves or lemongrass stalks, but I have found a lemongrass paste that works quite nicely! Still tastes wonderful to me, thank you for the recipe! It's a keeper! Read More

Helpful

(10)

Most helpful critical review

karataronno

10/22/2016

I used my home made turkey broth and leftover turkey from thanksgiving. I forgot the mushroom and used lime zest instead of leaves since my area does not sell the leaves. The son and nephew said it was ok my hubby said it was ok too but nothing speacil. Read More

27 Ratings

5 star values: 23
4 star values: 3
3 star values: 1
2 star values: 0
1 star values: 0

Reviews: Most Helpful

Most Helpful Most Positive Least Positive Newest

gunnergirl

03/17/2015

Helpful

(10)

redsavina

02/03/2015

Amazing! I actually made this to use up a container of baby portobellos rather than turkey and it was delicious. I hardly ever have seconds but did with this. I think it would be a good way to use boring leftover rice as well. Definitely a new go-to. Thanks Chef John for another great recipe Read More

Helpful

(3)

Mer

01/04/2017

I make a lot of soup from recipes on Allrecipes.com, and in my opinion, this is among the best. Read More

Helpful

(1)

Nikki L.

11/23/2016

I am not a big fan of fish so I halved the fish sauce. Even so there was a fairly strong fishy flavor. Outside of that the recipe was fabulous. I used minced lemongrass (and a lot of it!) and significantly more lime juice. I would make this again but likely completely omit the fish sauce. Read More

Helpful

(1)

Alicia Taylor

12/13/2018

Very authentic just like at Thai temple. Once the fish sauce was overpowering but it was the brand I used when I could not find the kind I like. It's worth a trip to an asian market to get the good stuff just be sure it is fresh. I think I picked up an old bottle the time it was not good. Read More

Divinity Turley

12/01/2014

Just tried this recipe with leftover turkey from Thanksgiving and it did a great job masking the old turkey flavor and creating a delicious soup. It has a mild flavor but is definitely a comfort food style soup with a unique flavor. Thanks Chef John! Read More

S.E.

12/31/2018

What a good idea for using up leftover turkey and I did make the broth with the bones too. I used some grated lime rind for the lime leaves. Read More

patinncnow

12/01/2019

Very tasty. I added a few touches of my own though. Added lemongrass stalk white & sweet potatoes celery. Read More

irishbull

06/03/2017

Turned out great! I used shrimp instead of turkey in mine Read More

karataronno

10/22/2016

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Turkey Tom Kha Gai

Servings Per Recipe: 4
Calories: 441

% Daily Value *

protein: 77 %

carbohydrates: 4 %

dietary fiber: 7 %

sugars:

fat: 41 %

saturated fat: 97 %

cholesterol: 32 %

vitamin a iu: 9 %

niacin equivalents: 114 %

vitamin b6: 40 %

vitamin c: 15 %

folate: 11 %

calcium: 7 %

iron: 35 %

magnesium: 35 %

potassium: 22 %

sodium: 94 %

thiamin: 13 %

calories from fat:

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

**Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.

(-)Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.