Thai Shrimp Soup

Thai shrimp coconut soup with noodles, mushrooms, bell pepper, and spinach - in a bowl.

Skip the takeout—this budget-friendly Thai Shrimp Soup quickly brings restaurant-quality flavor home. Made with easy-to-find ingredients, it features a creamy coconut broth, tender shrimp, many veggies, and a perfect kick of Thai spices.

Course Soup

Cuisine Asian, Thai

Keyword coconut shrimp soup, Thai coconut shrimp soup, Thai shrimp soup

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 10

Total Time 25

Servings servings

Calories 544kcal

Author Julia

Ingredients

8 oz raw shrimp (225 g) peeled, deveined, no tails
1 tablespoon coconut oil
¼ teaspoon salt
7 oz rice noodles (200 g) you can also use ramen noodles, glass noodles, or mung bean vermicelli noodles
1 small shallot finely chopped
3 tablespoons Thai red curry paste
3 cloves garlic minced
1 piece ginger grated (1 inch piece of ginger grated)
4 cups chicken broth (950 ml) or seafood broth
14 oz unsweetened coconut milk (1 can)
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar
¼ teaspoon red chili flakes optional, for extra spice
1 medium red bell pepper thinly sliced
5 oz cremini mushrooms sliced
1 tablespoon lime juice plus wedges for serving
2 cups baby spinach
Fresh cilantro for garnish

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Prepare the noodles

Cook noodles according to package instructions. I used mung bean vermicelli noodles and cooked them by placing them in a large bowl and covering them with warm water. Let soak for 10-15 minutes until softened. Drain and set aside.

Brown the shrimp

Heat coconut oil in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp, season with salt and cook for 1-2 minutes per side until lightly browned. Remove from the pot and set aside.

Make the broth

Add the shallot to the same pot and sauté for about 1 minute until softened. Stir in the garlic, ginger, and red curry paste and cook for 2 minutes until fragrant.
Pour in the chicken or seafood broth. Stir in the coconut cream, fish sauce, brown sugar and chili flakes (if using).
Add the red bell pepper and cremini mushrooms and bring to a gentle simmer. Let the soup cook for 5 minutes until the vegetables are tender.
Add the baby spinach and let it wilt for about 30 seconds. Stir in the lime juice.

Assemble & serve

Divide the cooked (and drained) noodles between serving soup bowls.
Ladle the hot soup over the noodles to warm them up, add browned shrimps on top.
Garnish with fresh cilantro and serve with lime wedges on the side.

Notes

For a milder soup, reduce the red curry paste to 2 tablespoon and omit the chili flakes.
For extra spice, add a sliced Thai chili or drizzle chili oil when serving.
Store leftover soup separately from the noodles to prevent them from absorbing too much liquid. Add fresh noodles when reheating.
For a vegetarian version, swap the shrimp for tofu, frying it until golden before adding to the soup.
Substitute baby spinach with bok choy, kale, or Thai basil leaves. Try rice noodles, ramen noodles, egg noodles, or soba noodles instead of mung bean vermicelli.

Nutrition