Thai Chicken Coconut Curry Soup (2024)

• Chicken: I recommend juicier, more flavorful, boneless, skinless chicken thighs. They will make your soup far superior than using chicken breasts! However, you may swap out for chicken breasts (make sure not to overcook or they will be dry!) or better yet, use rotisserie chicken.
• Vegetables: The Thai Coconut Curry Soup use carrots, red bell pepper and mushrooms, but you can use whatever you’d like.
• Basmati rice: Rice is optional, but I love the textural interest it adds. Please use basmati rice verses jasmine or any other white rice because it is sturdier and doesn’t get mushy in the soup.
• Aromatics: Onion, ginger and garlic infuse the broth with complex flavor. Fresh is best, but you may substitute with 1 teaspoon each ground/powders in a bind.
• Thai basil: This should be easy to find at specialty Asian grocery stores. It tastes like normal basil with a pronounced herbal, anise-licorice flavor and crisp pungency that’s slightly more peppery than the sweet kind.
• Cilantro: This is added directly to the soup for a fresh, zesty, citrusy kick. Stir the fresh cilantro into the soup at the very end of cooking, otherwise it will lose its fresh flavor.

• Red curry paste: This can be found in the Asian section of any grocery store. The premade paste is made of finely ground coriander, peppercorns, Kaffir lime leaves, lemongrass, galangal, cilantro, shallots, garlic, and fresh chiles – all combined for you for dynamic flavor.
• Coconut milk: Please use full fat coconut milk for restaurant-style creamy, flavorful curry. Light coconut milk simply isn’t as thick or nearly as flavorful so you’re missing out on both flavor and texture. If you do use light coconut milk, I suggest adding an additional 1 tablespoon cornstarch to help thicken it up.
• Chicken broth:Use low sodium chicken broth so we can control the salt. Chicken broth is more flavorful than vegetable broth, so I wouldn’t swap it out unless necessary
• Soy sauce: Use reduced sodium soy sauce so you can control the saltiness of the Coconut Curry Chicken Soup.
• Fish sauce: I promise fish sauce will not make your soup taste fishy – even though it smells fishy! It is needed, however, to infuse the soup with its nutty, rich, savory, salty flavor. If you’ve never used fish sauce before, it can be found in the Asian section of any grocery store.
• Lime juice: Freshly squeezed is best!
• Brown sugar: Just a little sugar balances out the savory, salty tones.
• Chili sauce: Use sriracha or your favorite Asian chili sauce at the end of cooking depending on how spicy you want your Thai Coconut Curry Chicken Soup.

• For the juiciest chicken:This recipe will work with chicken breasts or chicken thighs, but for best flavor, use chicken thighs or shredded rotisserie chicken.
• Rotisserie chicken hack:Stock shredded chicken or rotisserie chicken portioned into 2 1/2-cup freezer bags so you always have it ready to add to any soup.
• Sear the chicken. Color = flavor. By searing it, you’re infusing the broth with even more FREE flavor thanks to the golden bits that get stuck to the pot as the chicken sears.
• Don’t burn the bits:When searing the chicken, you don’t want blackened bits, or they will make your soup taste burnt. If the chicken is browning too quickly, turn the heat down.
• Cook the chicken at a gentle simmer: After you bring the soup to a boil, reduce to a gentle simmer so the chicken doesn’t become rubbery.
• Simmer chicken until tender:Whether using chicken thighs or breasts, check the pieces individually for tenderness because they may cook unevenly. Be prepared to remove pieces of chicken at different times. The chicken is ready when it easily pulls apart with two forks, not any sooner.
• Adjust the curry paste amount as needed. If you are using a milder brand like Thai Kitchen then I would start with ¼ cup curry paste. If you are using a spicier brand, like Mae Ploy, I would start with 2 tablespoons. You can add more curry paste to taste once the soup is simmering or add chili sauce to taste at the end of cooking.
• Adjust to taste. Add additional lime juice for more sour/citrus, more chili sauce for more heat, more sugar for sweeter/less tangy, more fish sauce for saltier etc.
• Use full-fat coconut milk. I don’t insist on full fat coconut milk but I HIGHLY suggest it if you would like restaurant-style creamy, Coconut Curry Chicken Soup. Light coconut not only isn’t as thick but it isn’t nearly as flavorful. If you must use light coconut milk, I suggest adding a little cornstarch to help thicken it up.
• Ginger pro tip. I like to freeze ginger so it’s always at my fingertips. To freeze ginger: grate it, spread it by the teaspoon or tablespoon on parchment paper and flash freeze until solid, about 1 hour. Transfer to an airtight container or plastic bag for up to 6 months. You can add frozen ginger directly to your soup.
• Powdered ginger and garlic swap. If you don’t have fresh ginger and garlic on hand and need to make this coconut curry NOW (I get you), you may substitute with powders.

• Rotisserie Chicken. As discussed, you can swap the chicken thighs for 2 ½ cups shredded rotisserie chicken. Add the chicken at the end of cooking when you would add the shredded chicken thighs back to the soup.
• Use shrimp. The shrimp will need to be cooked separately first, then returned to the soup just before serving it. Shrimp overcook quickly, so don’t simmer them in the soup or they can become rubbery.
• Other proteins. You can also swap the chicken for cubed pork tenderloin, fish or tofu. When cooking fish, season it with salt and pepper and cook separately.
• Make it vegetarian. Omit the chicken, swap the chicken broth with veggie broth, and use a vegan fish sauce. You can either use tofu, chickpeas, or extra veggies like sweet potatoes and cauliflower to bulk up the soup.
• Alternate veggies. Mix and match the veggies based on what’s in your fridge, your favorites, what’s in season or what’s on sale. Some tasty alternatives would be sweet potatoes, cauliflower, asparagus, bok choy, etc.
• Use a different curry paste. Swap the red curry paste for green or yellow.
• Add peanut butter. Stir in a couple tablespoons of peanut butter at the end of cooking to melt through.
• Add coconut. Garnish the soup with toasted sweetened coconut for extra coco-nutty yumminess.

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