No matter how much you love London, there’s no denying January is tough: it’s cold, grey and damp, summer seems an age away – and a jaunt to a tropical Thai beach looks pretty good. If, like most of us, you’re tied to your desk instead of stretching out on the sand, this tom kha gai – coconut and galangal soup – by Farang chef-patron Sebby Holmes could be the next best thing. It’s warming and swims with a multitude of flavours – plus, it’s an extra-tasty way to jump on the brothy rice trend doing the rounds on Tiktok.
“Tom kha is one of my favourite soups,” Holmes says. “It has that perfect balance of bold Thai aromatics and a rich, comforting base. You still get all the freshness from galangal, lemongrass and makrut lime, but the coconut milk rounds everything out and makes it feel silky and satisfying rather than sharp. It’s fragrant, warming and properly restorative – the kind of soup that feels like a hug, but still has loads of punch.”
Like the cooking at his Highbury restaurant, this soup is generous and shareable. Quantities can easily be scaled up to serve more people, and Holmes says that while this version of the soup is simple to make, it can also remixed to your heart’s content.
“My favourite upgrade is adding a spoonful of nam prik pao [Thai chilli jam]. It gives the soup a deeper, slightly smoky sweetness and an extra layer of richness that works brilliantly with coconut milk. If I’m making it into a proper main, I love adding vermicelli noodles and seafood (prawns are great, mixed seafood even better) and a mix of mushrooms (king oyster is great) then finishing with loads of fresh herbs (Thai basil and coriander are a winner), and a squeeze of lime right at the end to keep it bright. Crispy shallots and garlic also work very well as a textural garnish.”
Sebby Holmes’s tom kha gai
Serves 2
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes
Ingredients
300ml vegetable stock
300ml coconut cream, divided
2–3 tbsp light soy sauce
2 makrut lime leaves
Sea salt
40–50g galangal, bruised
2 red or green bird’s eye chillis, bruised
1 lemongrass stalk, tough outer layer removed, chopped into 4cm pieces and bruised
Big pinch of Thai basil leaves
Juice of ½ lime
Method
Put the vegetable stock, 100ml of the coconut cream, 2 tbsp of soy sauce (add more soy later if you feel it needs it), a pinch of sea salt, and the galangal, chillis and lemongrass – all bruised using a pestle and mortar – in a medium saucepan.
Simmer gently for 4–5 minutes until all the ingredients have softened and the flavours have infused.
Finish by stirring in the remaining coconut cream.
Add fresh lime juice to each bowl and half the picked Thai basil before serving.
Lastly, check the seasoning: it should be creamy, salty, a little spicy and aromatic with a sour edge from the lime. Adjust to your taste with remaining soy sauce if necessary.
