Thai Chicken Coconut Curry Soup — 🍗🥥🥕 An EASY one-pot soup that’s ready in 20 minutes and is layered with so many fabulous Thai flavors! Tastes BETTER than from a Thai restaurant! It’s hearty yet HEALTHY comfort food that tastes AMAZING!
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Thai Coconut Curry Soup … with Chicken!
This easy coconut curry soup is a spinoff of this Thai Chicken Coconut Curry, which has been in the top 5 most popular recipes on my entire website for the past year and has nearly one hundred 5-star reviews.
Since you all love that recipe so much, I made you a soup version, essentially just doubling the coconut milk and adding some chicken stock.
The soup tastes as good – or better – than you’d find in a Thai restaurant. Big statement, but I stand behind it.
With cold weather upon us, nothing is better than diving into a bowl of this hearty yet healthy comfort food soup that’s layered with flavors. I could drink the coconut milk-based broth every single day.
This coconut curry chicken soup is ready in 20 minutes, is made in one pot, is naturally gluten-free, and is healthy overall (coconut milk and oil have fat but they’re ‘good fats’),
The curry soup is savory, salty, there’s natural sweetness from the sweet Vidalia onions, carrots, and coconut milk. There’s a perfect acid balance from lime juice and a very gentle heat from the Thai red curry paste.
There’s plenty of vegetables for texture and the chicken is so tender. It will quickly be one of your favorite soup recipes!
More easy Thai chicken soup and curries
Thai Chicken Coconut Curry Soup Ingredients
To make the richly flavored chicken curry soup with coconut milk, you’ll need to gather the following ingredients:
- Coconut oil (or olive oil)
- Onion
- Chicken
- Garlic
- Ginger
- Coriander
- Coconut milk
- Chicken stock
- Thai red curry paste
- Shredded carrots
- Fresh spinach
- Cilantro
- Lime juice
Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for the ingredients with amounts included and for more complete directions.
How to Make Coconut Chicken Curry Soup
Making scratch Thai coconut curry chicken soup is SO easy! Full instructions are provided in the recipe card below, but here’s an overview of the cooking process:
- Start by sautéing an onion in coconut oil.
- Add boneless skinless chicken breast pieces, and cook until the chicken is cooked through.
- Add garlic, ginger, coriander, coconut milk, chicken stock, Thai red curry paste, carrots, and simmer for about 5 minutes.
- Finish with fresh spinach, cilantro, and lime juice,
- Add brown sugar, if desired, along with additional curry paste, salt, pepper, etc, and and you’re ready to start slurping. It’s such an easy soup that comes together effortlessly!
What to Serve with Thai Chicken Coconut Curry Soup
Storage
Store leftover soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Freeze cooled soup for up to 4 months, and thaw it in the fridge overnight when you’re ready to serve.
FAQs
Absolutely! The great thing about curries in general — which is totally different in this context than ‘curry powder,’ and here I mean of mixture of vegetables and protein in a sauce or broth — is that you can add vegetables or legumes to your liking.
For example, feel free to add cauliflower, zucchini, stewed tomatoes, red bell peppers, sweet potatoes, chickpeas, edamame, frozen peas, fresh spinach, kale, green onion, or whatever you have lurking in your produce drawer or freezer.
I think of curries as a stir-fry-meets-soup, and there are no rules with what to add to either of those in my book. Enjoy all the wonderful flavors and dive in.
As for the spices, I really wouldn’t deviate too much with the garlic, coriander, and ginger. However, you could try adding a dash of red chili paste for a touch of heat or fish sauce for an extra umami flavor.
I used one can of full-fat and one can of light coconut milk. For extra creaminess, use all full-fat coconut milk. I wouldn’t use two cans of light coconut milk unless you’re aware that the broth won’t have as much body and will be more watery tasting.
I don’t consider the soup to be spicy because the jar of curry paste is diluted by approximately 45 ounces of liquid (two cans of coconut milk, one can of chicken stock) but it definitely has the rich Thai flavor profile you’d find in a Thai restaurant.
For me, using less than the full jar of curry paste would result in lackluster soup.
NO! The Thai red curry paste is essential in this recipe. It adds a richer and smoother flavor profile than curry powder (Indian) does and you cannot substitute curry powder for curry paste.
If your grocery store doesn’t stock curry paste, order from Amazon (affiliate link).
I use the Thai Kitchen brand because I’ve had good luck with it, I can find it at my local grocery stores, and I know what I’m getting into in terms of spice and heat level and the overall flavor profile.
There are other brands that of course you can experiment with.
I used an entire 4-ounce jar of Thai red curry paste for the soup. If you’re not used to working with it or eating things made with it, I suggest starting with one-third to one-half of the jar and working up from there, to taste.
Sure! Feel free to stir in cooked rice or rice noodles just before serving. Add an extra splash of veggie or chicken broth as needed to account for the extra bulk.
Thai Chicken Coconut Curry Soup
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons coconut oil, olive oil may be substituted
- 1 medium/large sweet Vidalia or yellow onion, diced small
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast, diced into bite-sized pieces
- 3 to 5 cloves garlic, finely minced or pressed
- 2 to 3 teaspoons ground ginger or 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- two 14-ounce can coconut milk, I used one can full-fat, one lite; I don’t recommend using two cans of lite – too watery
- one 15-ounce can chicken stock, I used reduced sodium
- 1 to 1 ½ cups shredded carrots
- 1 (4 ounce) jar Thai red curry paste, added to taste (read blog post for more details; I use the whole jar. Start with 1/3 to 1/2 of the jar if you’re new to Thai red curry paste or are very sensitive to spicy food)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
- about 3 cups fresh spinach leaves, loosely packed
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped for garnishing (basil may be substituted)
- 1 to 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 1 to 2 tablespoons brown sugar, optional and to taste
- naan, optional for serving
Instructions
- To a large pot or Dutch oven, add the oil, onion, and sauté over medium-high heat until the onion begins to soften about 5 minutes; stir intermittently.
- Add the chicken and cook for about 5 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through; flip and stir often to ensure even cooking.
- Add the garlic, ginger, coriander, and cook for about 1 minute, or until fragrant; stir frequently.
- Add the coconut milk, chicken stock, carrots, Thai curry paste, salt, pepper, and stir to combine. Reduce the heat to medium, and allow mixture to gently boil for about 5 minutes and carrots are soft.
- Turn the heat off and add the spinach, cilantro, lime juice, and stir to combine. Stir until spinach has wilted and is tender, about 1 to 2 minutes.
- Taste the soup and optionally add brown sugar (does not make it sweet in my opinion but rather rounds out the flavor profile and marries things together), additional curry paste, salt, pepper, etc. to taste.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Favorite Thai Curry Recipes:
Thai Chicken Coconut Curry – An EASY one-skillet curry ready in 20 minutes and layered with so many fabulous flavors! Low-cal, low-carb, and HEALTHY but tastes like comfort food!
Green Thai Chicken Coconut Curry – An EASY, one-skillet curry that’s ready in 20 minutes and tastes BETTER than from a Thai restaurant! It’s healthy comfort food that tastes AMAZING!
Sweet Potato and Chickpea Coconut Curry – An easy one-skillet curry that’s ready in 30 minutes and is layered with so many fabulous flavors! Healthy comfort food that tastes amazing!
Chickpea and Kale Thai Coconut Curry – An easy one-skillet vegan curry that’s ready in 15 minutes and has amazing Thai-inspired flavors! Low-cal, low-carb, and healthy but tastes like hearty comfort food!
Cauliflower, Chickpea, and Chicken Coconut Curry – An EASY, one-skillet curry that’s ready in 20 minutes and tastes BETTER than a restaurant! The Thai-inspired coconut milk broth makes this healthy comfort food taste AMAZING!
We loved this soup!! The flavor profile is deep, tangy, sweet, and warm. Definitely restaurant quality. However, this took well over 20 mins to make including prep. 20 mins starts when you put the coconut oil to melt in the pot. Next time I make it, I will coat the chicken with the spices and sear before adding the liquids.
Thanks for the 5 star review Leah and I’m glad to hear you loved the soup and enjoyed the flavor profile.
https://amzn.to/4iED46t a vegetable chopper like that is great for recipes like this where there’s some chopping involved. Really though if you buy a bag of pre-shredded carrots, you really only chopping the chicken and onions. I personally use ground spices because it’s what I always have on hand and they’re easier/faster and I usually use garlic from a jar. Just keeping it real and using shortcuts is always what I do especially on weeknights!
This is definitely a favorite! I did a few things differently – a whole bag of spinach and more carrots. 1/2 jar of the red curry paste was perfect – a one-tissue heat. I had rice on the side, plus sour cream on the table and cilantro in a separate bowl. Again. Wonderful recipe. Thank you.
Thanks for the 5 star review, Jean, and I’m glad this is a favorite! Soups are flexible recipes and it sounds like you doctored it up just perfectly for your liking! And that it was a one-tissue heat đ„ Haha! I love that description!
I also have these 2 recipes which are a riff on this one
https://www.averiecooks.com/thai-coconut-curry-chicken-soup/
https://www.averiecooks.com/thai-noodle-soup-with-chicken/
This was easy to make and came out delicious. I didn’t add any salt since the curry paste had sodium and the broth did too. I added extra spinach.
Thanks for the 5 star review, Sherry, and I’m glad this turned out deliciously for you!
WOW! We all really loved the flavors.
excellent soup!
Thanks for the 5 star review, Dolly, on this soup and the others you tried too and it’s great to hear you really enjoyed them!
I made this last night- on a weeknight. Very quick and easy recipe to follow. I had no carrots so I used a thinly sliced red bell pepper and mushrooms. I boiled some jasmine rice to have with it.
I have had thai coconut curry soup at a restaurant before- but never made it.
I have never used or cooked with coconut milk before so I didn’t know what to expect.
This soup is just amazing! Thank you for a wonderful recipe which will be a constant in our home.
I can’t wait to try all your other recipes.
Thanks for the 5 star review and I’m so glad this turned out amazing for you!
I used green curry paste because that was what came in my grocery order by mistake and then added broccoli and cauliflower and it turned out great! Thanks for such a delicious and cozy recipe.
Thanks for the 5 star review, Joy, and I’m glad you improvised based on your grocery order and it was great!
If you have more green paste to use these two are great!
https://www.averiecooks.com/green-thai-chicken-coconut-curry/
https://www.averiecooks.com/ground-chicken-green-thai-curry/
This was so easy to make and such good flavour! I didnât have a full fat coconut milk so I risked it and put two lite cans in and it turned out fine. I did cube some potatoes to add. Canât wait for leftovers tonight. Thank you!
Thanks for the 5 star review, Heather, and glad this was easy with great flavor and your lite coconut milk worked just fine.