Thai Coconut Curry Soup (Printable)

Creamy coconut broth with tender chicken, vegetables, and aromatic Thai red curry spices.

# What You'll Need:

→ Protein

01 - 14 oz boneless, skinless chicken breast or thighs, thinly sliced

→ Vegetables

02 - 7 oz mushrooms, sliced (shiitake or button)
03 - 2 medium carrots, julienned or thinly sliced
04 - 1 small red bell pepper, thinly sliced
05 - 3.5 oz baby spinach or bok choy, optional
06 - 2 spring onions, thinly sliced

→ Aromatics

07 - 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
08 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
09 - 2 stalks lemongrass, bruised and cut into 2-inch pieces, optional
10 - 4 kaffir lime leaves, optional

→ Broth

11 - 2 tablespoons red curry paste
12 - 3⅓ cups coconut milk, full fat or light
13 - 2 cups chicken broth
14 - 1 tablespoon fish sauce
15 - 1 tablespoon brown sugar
16 - Juice of 1 lime

→ Garnishes

17 - Fresh cilantro, chopped
18 - Fresh red chili, sliced, optional
19 - Lime wedges

# How To Make It:

01 - Heat a large pot over medium heat. Add a splash of oil and sauté the ginger, garlic, and lemongrass for 1 minute until fragrant. Stir in the red curry paste and cook for another minute to release its flavors.
02 - Add the chicken slices and cook for 2–3 minutes, stirring to coat with the curry paste.
03 - Pour in the coconut milk and chicken broth. Add the kaffir lime leaves if using, carrots, mushrooms, and red bell pepper.
04 - Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 10–12 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and vegetables are tender.
05 - Stir in the fish sauce, brown sugar, and lime juice. Adjust seasoning to taste. Add baby spinach or bok choy if using and simmer for 1–2 minutes until just wilted.
06 - Remove lemongrass stalks and kaffir lime leaves. Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with spring onions, cilantro, fresh chili, and serve with lime wedges on the side.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It tastes like you've been simmering it all day, but honest truth is you're eating it in forty minutes flat.
  • The coconut milk does something magical, turning spice into comfort without ever feeling heavy.
  • You control the heat with one ingredient, so whether you like a whisper of warmth or actual fire, this soup bends to your preference.
02 -
  • Don't skip bruising the lemongrass, that step releases the oils that make it taste like Thailand instead of just like coconut soup.
  • Fish sauce smells aggressive in the pot and then transforms into umami that makes people ask what that flavor is, so don't panic and don't leave it out.
  • Lime juice is the final magic wand, it wakes up every flavor that's drowsy from the heat, so always taste before and after that squeeze.
03 -
  • Good coconut milk costs a bit more and makes an enormous difference, don't grab the cheapest can and expect restaurant results.
  • Slice your chicken thin so it cooks through in a few minutes without turning tough, thickness is your enemy here.
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