The Chef

Restaurants

Meals

Drinks

Restaurants›Nawa Thai Manhattan Beach›Tom Kha Noodle Recipe

Tom Kha Noodle Recipe

Name: Nawa Thai Manhattan Beachs Tom Kha Noodle Recipe
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Thai
Ingredients: 4 cups chicken broth (low-sodium); 1 cup unsweetened coconut milk; 2 inch galangal (fresh) or ginger if unavailable; 2 stalks lemongrass stalks; 4 leaves kaffir lime leaves; 2 to taste Thai red chilies; 2 pcs shallots; 3 pcs garlic cloves; 8 oz boneless skinless chicken breast or thigh, thinly sliced (or firm tofu for vegetarian); 1 cup shiitake mushrooms, sliced (or mixed mushrooms); 2 cups baby bok choy or napa cabbage, halved or sliced; 1 cup bean sprouts; 8 oz rice noodles (flat, 1/8–1/4 inch) or rice vermicelli; 2 tbs fish sauce (or soy sauce for vegetarian); 1 tsp sweet chili paste or a small spoon of palm sugar; 2 tbs lime juice (fresh); 1 cup cilantro leaves, roughly chopped; 2 pcs green onions, thinly sliced; 1 cup Thai basil (optional); 1 tbs cooking oil (neutral); 0.5 tsp salt; 0.25 tsp black pepper

Inspired by Nawa Thai Manhattan Beach

Time40m

Serves4

Make Tom Kha Noodle Recipe in just 40m. Get the full recipe with step-by-step instructions at pekinthechef.com.

Was this page helpful?

Help improve this recipe for others.

Send this recipe to your inbox.

We'll email it straight to you - plus weekly cooking inspiration.

Ingredients

Some product links may be affiliates. If you buy through them, you're supporting the site and Pekin may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

Broth and Aromatics

4 cups chicken broth (low-sodium)

1 cup unsweetened coconut milk

2 inch galangal (fresh) or ginger if unavailable

2 stalks lemongrass stalks

4 leaves kaffir lime leaves

2 to taste Thai red chilies

2 pcs shallots

3 pcs Garlic cloves

Proteins and Vegetables

8 oz boneless skinless chicken breast or thigh, thinly sliced (or firm tofu for vegetarian)

1 cup shiitake mushrooms, sliced (or mixed mushrooms)

2 cups baby bok choy or napa cabbage, halved or sliced

1 cup Bean sprouts

Noodles

8 oz rice noodles (flat, 1/8–1/4 inch) or rice vermicelli

Seasonings and Finish

2 tbs fish sauce (or soy sauce for vegetarian)

1 tsp sweet chili paste or a small spoon of palm sugar

2 tbs lime juice (fresh)

1 cup cilantro leaves, roughly chopped

2 pcs green onions, thinly sliced

1 cup Thai basil (optional)

1 tbs cooking oil (neutral)

1/2 tsp Celtic sea salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

Method

Broth and Aromatics

Prepare aromatics

Peel and thinly slice the galangal (or ginger). Smash the lemongrass stalks with the back of a knife and cut into 2-inch pieces. Peel and thinly slice the shallots and smash the garlic cloves lightly.

Simmer broth

In a medium pot, heat 1 tablespoon neutral oil over medium heat. Add sliced shallots and smashed garlic; cook 1–2 minutes until fragrant but not browned. Add sliced galangal and bruised lemongrass and cook 1 minute more. Pour in 4 cups chicken broth and bring to a gentle simmer.

Infuse flavors

Add kaffir lime leaves and whole Thai red chilies to the simmering broth. Reduce heat to low and simmer gently for 10 minutes to infuse aromatics.

Finish broth base

Stir in 1 cup coconut milk, then simmer 2–3 more minutes. Keep broth at a low simmer; do not boil vigorously after adding coconut milk to prevent separation.

Proteins and Vegetables

Prepare proteins and vegetables

While broth simmers, thinly slice the chicken (or press and cube tofu). Clean and slice mushrooms. Trim and halved/ slice bok choy or napa cabbage. Rinse bean sprouts and set aside.

Cook chicken and mushrooms

Once the broth is infused and simmering, add the thinly sliced chicken (or tofu) and mushrooms to the pot. Increase heat slightly to return to a gentle simmer and cook until chicken is just cooked through, about 4–6 minutes (tofu: 2–3 minutes to heat).

Add greens

Add bok choy (or napa cabbage) to the pot and simmer 1–2 minutes until bright and wilted but still tender-crisp. Add bean sprouts in the last 30 seconds to 1 minute to keep them crunchy.

Noodles

Cook noodles

Prepare rice noodles according to package instructions (typically soak in hot water for 5–8 minutes or boil 2–3 minutes) until just tender. Drain and rinse lightly with cold water to stop cooking and prevent sticking.

Portion noodles

Divide the cooked noodles among 4 serving bowls (about 2 oz dried noodles per serving).

Seasonings and Finish

Season soup

Remove and discard larger pieces of lemongrass and galangal if desired (they are fibrous). Stir fish sauce (or soy sauce), 1 teaspoon sweet chili paste (or 1 tsp palm sugar), 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, 1/2 teaspoon salt (adjust to taste), and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper into the simmering soup. Taste and adjust seasoning—add more fish sauce for saltiness, lime for acidity, or a small pinch of sugar if too tart.

Assemble bowls

Ladle the hot tom kha broth, chicken, and vegetables over the noodles in each bowl, distributing solids evenly.

Garnish and serve

Top each bowl with chopped cilantro, sliced green onions, and Thai basil if using. Serve immediately with extra lime wedges and extra fish sauce or chili on the side for guests to adjust heat and salt.