Thai Chicken Curry Soup

Craving a cozy, restaurant-quality Thai chicken noodle soup? This one-pot recipe features seared chicken in a creamy coconut red curry broth with mushrooms, kale, bell peppers, and rice noodles, topped with lime and peanuts. It's the ultimate weeknight comfort food - healthier than takeout and packed with authentic Thai flavors!

Course Soup

Cuisine Asian, Thai, Thailand

Keyword Thai Chicken Curry Soup, Thai Chicken Soup, Thai coconut curry soup

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 25

Total Time 45

Servings

Calories 444kcal

Author Julia

Ingredients

For the Chicken:

1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into ½-inch chunks (450 grams)
1 teaspoon kosher salt (5 grams)
½ teaspoon black pepper (1 gram)
1 teaspoon sweet paprika (2 grams)

For the Coconut Broth:

1 tablespoon neutral oil such as avocado or sunflower (15 milliliters)
1 small onion finely chopped (about 60 grams)
1 medium carrot finely chopped (60 grams)
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger (6 grams)
3 cloves garlic minced (9 grams)
3 tablespoons Thai red curry paste (45 grams)
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth (960 milliliters)
14 oz full-fat coconut milk (400 milliliters)
¼ cup creamy peanut butter (60 grams)
2 tablespoons fish sauce (15–30 milliliters)
1 teaspoon soy sauce or tamari (5 milliliters)
1 teaspoon brown sugar (5 grams)

For the Vegetables:

1 medium red bell pepper thinly sliced (120 grams)
2 cups chopped kale or baby spinach (60 grams)
1 cup sliced shiitake mushrooms (100 grams)

For Serving:

4 ounces rice noodles or mung bean vermicelli noodles (115 grams)
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice (30 milliliters)
Fresh Thai basil
Roasted peanuts chopped
Sliced scallions
Chili oil optional drizzle

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Cook the noodles:  Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add rice noodles (or mung bean vermicelli noodles) and cook according to package directions until al dente (usually 3–4 minutes). Drain and toss with a few drops of oil to prevent clumping. Set aside.
Sear the chicken:  Season chicken pieces with salt, pepper, and paprika.  In a large Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken and sear for about 8 minutes, stirring a few times, until golden brown. Remove the chicken to a plate.
Build the flavor base:  Reduce the heat to medium. Add the chopped onion to the same pot. Add in 2–3 tablespoons of chicken broth to deglaze the pot, scraping up any browned bits to prevent burning. Sauté for 2–3 minutes until softened.  Stir in the grated ginger and minced garlic; cook for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add the red curry paste and stir well, cooking for 1–2 minutes.
Make the coconut broth:  Gradually whisk in the chicken broth and coconut milk, stirring to dissolve the curry paste.  Whisk in the peanut butter until smooth.  Add mushrooms and stir in fish sauce, soy sauce, and brown sugar. Return the seared chicken (and any juices) to the pot.
Simmer and add vegetables:  Bring to a gentle simmer and cook 8–10 minutes, until the chicken and mushrooms are fully cooked through.  Add sliced bell pepper, mushrooms, and kale (or spinach). Simmer 3–4 minutes more until the vegetables are tender but still bright.
Adjust seasonings:  Remove from heat. Stir in lime juice. Taste and adjust seasoning — more fish sauce for salt, lime juice for acidity, or a bit of sugar for balance.
Assemble and serve:  Divide the cooked noodles among bowls. Ladle hot Thai coconut chicken soup and vegetables over the noodles. Garnish each bowl with chopped peanuts, scallions, Thai basil, and a drizzle of chili oil if desired.
Note: I provide helpful step-by-step photos + tips below this recipe card. ⬇️⬇️

Notes

How spicy is this Thai chicken soup? It depends on your curry paste. I always use the Thai Kitchen brand, which is very mild. You can up the spice by adding Thai chilies or red pepper flakes, or use a spicier brand of red curry paste.
Can I use light coconut milk? You can, but I don’t recommend it—the broth won’t be as creamy and can split when boiled.
What if I don’t have fish sauce? Use an extra 2–3 teaspoons of soy or tamari and a squeeze of lime. It won’t taste exactly the same, but it’ll still be delicious. Vegan fish sauce works too.
How do I keep the noodles from soaking up all the broth? Store noodles and broth separately. When serving leftovers, place the noodles in the bowl and pour hot coconut curry broth over them to reheat - this should prevent mushy noodles.
Can I make it dairy- and gluten-free? This Thai coconut soup is naturally dairy-free. For gluten-free, use tamari or coconut aminos instead of soy sauce and verify your curry paste is GF. Mung bean or rice vermicelli is gluten-free.

Storage, reheating, freezing, make-ahead

Storage: Refrigerate broth and noodles separately in airtight containers for 3–4 days. Keep garnishes (basil, scallions, peanuts) in small containers.
Reheating: Warm broth gently on the stovetop over medium-low heat until steaming (avoid a hard boil to keep coconut milk smooth). If reheating in the microwave, use 50–70% power, stir halfway. Add noodles to bowls, then pour hot broth over to warm them.
Freezing: Freeze broth only (no noodles, no fresh herbs) up to 2–3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge; reheat gently and add fresh lime/herbs before serving.
Make-Ahead: Cook the soup base through the simmer step and stop before adding greens and lime. Chill. Reheat day-of, then add kale/spinach and lime to keep colors bright and flavors fresh.

Nutrition