Thai Coconut Curry Soup Bowl (Printable)

Fragrant soup with tender chicken, mushrooms, and vegetables in creamy coconut red curry broth.

# 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

# Directions:

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.
02 - Stir in the red curry paste and cook for 1 minute to release its flavors.
03 - Add the chicken slices and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring to coat with the curry paste.
04 - Pour in the coconut milk and chicken broth. Add the kaffir lime leaves, carrots, mushrooms, and red bell pepper.
05 - Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 10 to 12 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and vegetables are tender.
06 - Stir in the fish sauce, brown sugar, and lime juice. Adjust seasoning to taste.
07 - Add baby spinach or bok choy and simmer for 1 to 2 minutes until just wilted.
08 - Remove lemongrass stalks and kaffir lime leaves. Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with spring onions, cilantro, fresh chili, and serve with lime wedges.

# Expert Hints:

01 -
  • It comes together in under 40 minutes, yet tastes like you've been simmering it all day.
  • The heat is customizable—dial it up or down depending on your mood and who's eating with you.
  • One bowl feels like a complete meal, creamy and satisfying without any heaviness afterward.
02 -
  • Don't let the broth boil hard once you've added the chicken or it'll become tough and stringy—a gentle simmer is all you need.
  • The fish sauce smells funky in the bottle but tastes like umami magic in the finished soup, so trust the process and don't skip it.
03 -
  • Prep your vegetables before you start cooking so you're not scrambling mid-simmer—mise en place is your friend here.
  • If you can't find kaffir lime leaves or lemongrass, the soup still works beautifully; just add an extra squeeze of lime juice and a pinch of lime zest to capture some of that aromatic brightness.
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