Thai Chicken Coconut Curry Soup (Printable View)

Tender chicken simmers in rich coconut broth with red curry, fresh aromatics, and crisp vegetables for an authentic Thai soup.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Proteins

01 - 14 oz boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces

→ Aromatics

02 - 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, finely grated
03 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
04 - 2 shallots, thinly sliced

→ Curry & Broth

05 - 2 tablespoons red curry paste
06 - 1 can (13.5 fl oz) full-fat coconut milk
07 - 3 cups chicken broth
08 - 1 tablespoon fish sauce
09 - 1 tablespoon gluten-free soy sauce or tamari
10 - 1 teaspoon brown sugar
11 - Juice of 1 lime

→ Vegetables

12 - 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
13 - 3.5 oz shiitake mushrooms, sliced
14 - 3.5 oz snow peas, trimmed

→ Garnishes

15 - Fresh cilantro leaves
16 - Fresh Thai basil
17 - Sliced red chili, optional
18 - Lime wedges

# How To Make It:

01 - Heat a large pot over medium heat. Add a splash of oil, then sauté shallots, ginger, and garlic for 2 minutes until fragrant.
02 - Stir in the red curry paste and cook for 1 minute to release its aroma and deepen the flavor profile.
03 - Add chicken pieces and cook for 2–3 minutes, stirring continuously to coat evenly with aromatics and curry paste.
04 - Pour in the chicken broth and coconut milk. Bring to a gentle simmer.
05 - Add fish sauce, soy sauce, and brown sugar. Stir well to combine.
06 - Add bell pepper, mushrooms, and snow peas. Simmer for 10–12 minutes, until chicken is cooked through and vegetables reach tender-crisp texture.
07 - Stir in lime juice. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional fish sauce, lime, or sugar as desired.
08 - Ladle soup into bowls. Garnish with cilantro, Thai basil, red chili, and lime wedges. Serve immediately while hot.

# Best Practices:

01 -
  • It comes together in under an hour but tastes like you've been simmering it all day, which is the kind of kitchen magic that never gets old.
  • The coconut broth is silky and balanced without being heavy, so you'll actually finish the whole bowl and want more.
  • You can swap proteins or vegetables based on what's in your fridge, making it feel like your own discovery every time.
02 -
  • Don't skip the toasting step with curry paste—it sounds small but it's the difference between flat-tasting soup and something with actual depth and character that makes you want another bowl.
  • Add your vegetables late in the cooking so they stay bright and crisp rather than turning into soft sadness, which I discovered by making this soup wrong about five times before it clicked.
  • Fish sauce is your friend even though it smells like a gym sock in the bottle; it's what makes everything taste authentically Thai rather than like coconut soup with Indian spices thrown at it.
03 -
  • Buy quality fish sauce and coconut milk from an Asian market if you can, because the difference in flavor is worth the small detour and usually cheaper than specialty grocery stores anyway.
  • Cook the curry paste for a full minute and let it smell almost burnt before adding liquid, because this one small moment of patience transforms the entire flavor profile into something actually special.
  • Taste constantly throughout cooking and write down what you add so you know exactly how to remake it when someone inevitably asks for the recipe after eating it.
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