This Thai chicken curry soup is quick, simple, comforting, and full of fabulous flavor. It's a great way to use up leftover or rotisserie chicken!
If you enjoy soups with bold flavors, try my 15 Minute Thai Green Curry Soup next.
Why you'll love it
This chicken curry soup has gorgeous Thai-inspired flavors. We've got freshly grated ginger, lime juice, red curry paste, coconut milk, and fresh herbs among other irresistible ingredients. All of them are readily available for this quick Thai soup that's bursting with flavor.
By now, you know I love using rotisserie chicken as a shortcut to get dinner on the table faster. This Thai chicken soup has plenty of complex flavors without being complicated to prepare. If you're anything like me, any Thai-inspired recipes are hard to resist, much like my Easy Thai Chicken Curry!
What you'll need
- Olive oil - for sautéing
- Onion and garlic - I like sweet (Vidalia) onions best here, and feel free to use even more garlic than suggested if you're a big fan
- Ginger - for a zesty kick
- Red curry paste - it's an easy, ready-made paste with spices and lemongrass. I used Thai Kitchen brand. It has a gentle heat and is not very spicy like others I've tried. Be sure to give yours a taste first, though.
- Broth and water - use either chicken or veggie broth for another layer of flavor
- Lime - always use freshly squeezed lime juice. It adds brightness and a touch of acidity.
- Rice noodles - they're the translucent ones that come in a variety of sizes. I prefer thicker as pictured compared to angel hair/vermicelli.
- Coconut milk - it makes a rich, tasty, and creamy counterpoint
- Chicken - for convenience I used rotisserie chicken
- Basil, cilantro, and scallions - classic fresh garnishes to tie this recipe together
Pro tips
- I always keep fresh ginger in my freezer so I have some on hand. My friend Meghan from Fox and Briar taught me this trick! I also find I waste way less ginger that way. It keeps way longer than in the fridge and is also extra easy to grate it while frozen.
- You can definitely make this Thai soup in just 20 minutes if you like to chop herbs and prep other ingredients (like I do) as the onions are sautéing and the soup is simmering away.
How to make Thai chicken soup
This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
In a soup pot or Dutch oven, add the olive oil and onions. Sauté until softened, stirring every so often. Add in the ginger, garlic, and curry paste, and cook for 30 seconds. Pour in the chicken broth, water, and lime juice. Add the noodles, and bring to a boil.
Stir in the coconut milk and chicken. Reduce the heat, and let it simmer. Just before serving, add in the cilantro, basil, and scallions. If needed, add salt & pepper. Serve right away with lime wedges if desired.
Tools for this recipe
Check out Natasha's favorite kitchen essentials, gadgets, and cookware!
- I often make soups in my 5.5 quart Dutch oven.
- Mincing garlic is effortless with a garlic press. You don't even need to peel the cloves first.
- This ladle is great at pouring soup into bowls without spilling it all over the place.
- Grating ginger is simple with my Microplane zester.
Substitutions and variations
- If you don't like some of the fresh herbs (e.g. cilantro), feel free to leave them out, but the combo does really add a lot of fresh flavor. They're staples of Thai cooking.
- Try adding a dash of fish sauce if you happen to have some for even more depth of flavor.
- As written, this soup isn't particularly spicy. To make it spicy, use a spicy red curry paste or add in some chopped Thai chilis or crushed red pepper flakes. You can definitely serve it with a squeeze of sriracha sauce too.
What to serve with Thai chicken soup
- It's a filling soup, so just serve it with a slice of fresh crusty bread for a satisfying and complete meal.
- Bean sprouts add a delicious crispy and fresh topping to Asian-inspired soups.
- If you're really into Thai flavors, make this Thai Quinoa Salad as a pairing and have enough left over for lunch the next day to take to work.
Leftovers and storage
- You can store leftovers of this Thai curry soup in the fridge in an airtight container for 3-4 days. Keep in mind that with any soup with noodles, they will absorb the broth over time.
- Reheat in a saucepan over a low heat until warmed through. Add more liquid if necessary.
- You could freeze this soup, but it wouldn't be my preference as the chicken will get more dry and the texture of noodles may change. But it'll still taste good!
If you've tried this delicious Thai coconut curry soup recipe or the post didn't answer your questions, talk to me in the comments below. I'd love if you left me a review. You can always find me on Instagram!
Easy Thai Chicken Curry Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 medium onion chopped finely
- 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 4 heaping tablespoons Thai red curry paste see note
- 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- 2 cups water
- Juice of 1 lime
- 3.5 ounces uncooked rice noodles see note
- 1 (13.5 ounce) can full fat coconut milk
- 2 cups shredded cooked chicken (I used rotisserie)
- Generous handful fresh basil torn
- Handful fresh cilantro chopped
- Chopped scallions to taste
- Salt & pepper to taste
- Lime wedges for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Add the olive oil and onion to a large pot over medium-high heat. Sauté for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Stir in the ginger, garlic, and curry paste, and cook for about 30 seconds.
- Add the broth, water, lime juice, and noodles. Increase heat to high and bring to a gentle boil.
- Stir in the coconut milk and chicken. Reduce heat to medium-low and let the soup simmer for 10 minutes.
- Stir in the basil, cilantro, and scallions. Season with salt & pepper as needed.
- Serve immediately with an extra wedge of lime on the side if desired. The noodles will soak up more liquid the longer you leave the soup. I suggest adding more chicken broth if you need to add more liquid (e.g. reheating leftovers the next day).
Notes
- To save on initial prep time, I prep while cooking e.g. start sautéing the onion while prepping the next steps, and then chop the herbs while the soup is simmering.
- Rice noodles come in a variety of brands and package sizes, so you don't have to be super precise with the weight as you may need to use only part of a package. I buy the thicker ones (3 mm) vs. the super fine ones that are almost like angel hair pasta. I like to buy Thai Kitchen's stir fry noodles when I can find them.
- I used Thai Kitchen red curry paste. I find it to be more flavorful than spicy, but some brands of Thai curry paste are quite hot, so be sure to add less than suggested if that's the case and you don't want a spicy soup.
- Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only and should be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary and Salt & Lavender makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information.
Nutrition
This recipe was originally published on January 15, 2018. It's been updated with new photos and better instructions but is the same great recipe!
Christine Norris says
Made this this evening and it was a huge hit. We recently had to go dairy and GF due to new allergies in our 14yr old daughter and we’ve been having a blast trying new recipes. This is a keeper. Added 2 limes to the recipes instead of one and bit more garlic, because you know, garlic. Added a full jar of of the curry paste, some red pepper flakes and about a teaspoon of chili paste. Thank you so much for sharing. We all loved it!
Natasha says
I'm thrilled to hear you guys enjoyed it!! 😀
Ellen Evars says
I've made so many of you recipes and they have all been winner's. Love this soup as weee. Because it makes a lot for one person, how do the rice noodle hold up in the soup after a couple of day's? Do rice noodle do well when freezing?
Natasha says
Hi Ellen! I'm thrilled to hear that! 🙂 I do have some tips in the storage & leftovers section of the blog post. If you want to freeze most of the batch, I'd cook the noodles separately and add them in when reheating. Yes, the noodles do soak up the broth the longer it's in the fridge.
Amy says
Delicious!! Parang Thai dish is one of my favorites that I always order at Thai restaurants. This is super close to what I order. Absolutely add veggies in if you want. I did add some brown sugar for my own personal preference. Thanks for the recipe!!!
Natasha says
That's awesome!! 😀 You're very welcome!
Lisa says
As is, I thought it was tasty but a wee bit bland. I added a bit of soy sauce and lots of extra lime and that did the trick. Next time I will add even more basil and cilantro, bell peppers, spinach, carrots and maybe some peas or zucchini to add more veggies. It was super easy to make and I will definitely make it again.
Karen Lorbecki says
Really good! Added eggplant, thinly sliced carrots, and a thinly sliced bell pepper during the saute step. Also cooked the noodles separately to be added when served to accommodate dietary restrictions of one of our household members. My only suggestion is to add in the curry paste slowly, as it spices up fast! Will definitely make again!
Natasha says
Love those additions!
Darynn Cowan says
quite disappointing...no flavour. Not nearly enough ginger or garlic, spices, for quantity of liquid...maybe add some lemongrass as well?
Natasha says
Sorry you didn't like it, but you're definitely in the minority. I am not sure what went wrong in your kitchen. As with any recipe, you can taste and adjust as needed to your personal tastes.
Rachel says
At what point would you recommend adding the fish sauce?
Natasha says
Step 3 should be fine. 🙂 Enjoy!
Whitney Sowles says
So yummy and easy! I might add more noodle next time for my big eaters.
Natasha says
Wonderful! Glad it was a hit!
Bobette Bryan says
Delicious! Thank you!
Natasha says
You're very welcome, Bobette! Glad you liked it! Thanks for your 5-star review.
Laura says
How many cups is one serving?
Natasha says
Hi! Nutrition info is calculated automatically from a database of ingredients and is just an estimate. You'd have to weigh your own ingredients and plug it into something like My Fitness Pal for info beyond that.