Thai Coconut Curry Soup Bowl (Printer-Friendly)

Tender chicken and vegetables in a creamy, spicy coconut curry broth for a hearty, comforting dish.

# 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.
02 - Stir in the red curry paste and cook for another minute to release its flavors.
03 - Add the chicken slices and cook for 2–3 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 10–12 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 1–2 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 on the side.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It comes together in under 40 minutes, meaning weeknight dinners don't have to feel like a compromise.
  • The balance of creamy, spicy, and bright flavors actually makes your taste buds feel celebrated rather than just fed.
  • It's naturally gluten-free and dairy-free without tasting like it's missing anything.
02 -
  • Don't skip toasting the curry paste—it transforms from sharp and one-dimensional to mellow and complex in just 60 seconds.
  • Fish sauce smells aggressive on its own, but trust it; once it's in the broth it becomes invisible flavor-wise but essential taste-wise, adding a savory anchor that makes everything else pop.
03 -
  • If your curry paste is particularly intense, start with 1 tablespoon and taste as you go rather than dumping in the full 2 tablespoons and regretting it.
  • Fresh herbs make this soup feel like a restaurant dish rather than something you threw together on a weeknight, so don't treat the cilantro and chili as optional luxuries.
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