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20 Minute Thai Chicken Curry Soup

Published: / Updated: / 90 Comments

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This Thai chicken curry soup is quick, easy, comforting, and full of fabulous flavor. A great way to use up leftover or rotisserie chicken!

Thai chicken curry soup in a bowl with chopsticks and a lime wedge

Rotisserie chicken is one of my favorite things to use to make fast, healthy(ish) meals during the week. This leftover chicken soup is one of those meals.

20 minutes for a soup like this? Heck yeah. It's been a while since I've made a Thai-inspired soup, so I figured it was time for another one.

This Thai chicken soup has plenty of complex flavors without being complicated to prepare. Thai red curry paste is an easy, ready-made flavor punch. I always keep some in my fridge.

I always keep fresh ginger in my freezer so I have some on-hand as well. Thanks for teaching me that trick, Meghan! I also find I waste way less ginger that way. Ever buy it for a recipe then find the rest of it rotting in the depths of your fridge a few months later?

Yeah. Another benefit of keeping fresh ginger in your freezer is that it's extra easy to grate as well. Try it.

close-up of easy Thai chicken curry soup in a bowl

My easy Thai coconut curry soup has the perfect balance between spices and freshness. It's not particularly spicy, but ginger and garlic and the lemongrass in the Thai curry paste do provide a bit of heat.

The lime juice, cilantro, and basil counter the heat and make that coconut broth even more delicious.

Pro tip: In order to make this in 20 minutes, I do a bunch of the prep work while the soup is already cooking (like when the onion is sautéing).

Thai chicken curry in a bowl with chopsticks on top

I wish I had a bowl of this right now.

Writing up recipes days after I've made them is hard sometimes. 😛

If you like the look of this soup, you may also like my Thai lemongrass coconut soup, my Thai shrimp curry, or my Thai sweet potato coconut red curry.

close-up of easy Thai chicken curry soup in a bowl

Hope you try this delicious Thai coconut curry chicken soup recipe!

Let me know in the comments below if you have.

Do you enjoy Thai flavors as much as I do?

This Thai chicken curry soup is quick, easy, comforting, and full of fabulous flavor. A great way to use up leftover or rotisserie chicken!

20 Minute Thai Chicken Curry Soup

This Thai chicken curry soup is quick, easy, comforting, and full of fabulous flavor. A great way to use up leftover or rotisserie chicken!
4.81 from 21 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 5 mins
Cook Time 15 mins
Total Time 20 mins
Course Soup
Cuisine Thai
Servings 6

Ingredients
 

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1/2 medium onion chopped finely
  • 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 4 heaping tablespoons Thai red curry paste
  • 4 cups vegetable or chicken broth (or stock)
  • 2 cups water
  • Juice of 1 lime
  • 3.5 ounces rice noodles (see note)
  • 1 (13.5 ounce) can coconut milk (I used full-fat)
  • 2 cups cooked chicken (I used rotisserie)
  • Generous handful fresh basil torn
  • Handful fresh cilantro chopped
  • Scallions chopped, to taste
  • Salt & pepper to taste 
  • Lime wedges for serving 

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 vegetable 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. 
  • Test to ensure the noodles are ready (it may vary depending on brand, but most rice noodles will be cooked by now). I recommend the Thai Kitchen brand.
  • 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 veg broth if you need to add more liquid (e.g. the next day). 

Notes

  • I used half a package of Thai Kitchen stir fry rice noodles (not the super thin ones) for this soup. You could add the whole package, but keep in mind it'll soak up the soup broth faster, so you may need to add more broth, especially if you reheat it.
  • I used Thai Kitchen red curry paste.
  • I always keep fresh ginger in a sealed container in my freezer. It makes it much easier to grate that way, and I am never without ginger. I used my handy Microplane grater/zester to easily grate it.
 
Keyword Thai chicken curry soup, Thai chicken soup
Author Natasha Bull
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    • Natasha says

      I'm glad you enjoyed it!! Yes, you can definitely up the heat a bit next time. 🙂 Thanks for taking the time to write a review!

      Reply

  2. Kim O says

    5 stars
    I tried this dish tonight for my family. It was simple to make with such a variety of flavors. I doubled the recipe because I know my two teens love soups, especially Asian inspired soups. They both loved it, especially the broth. I always keep a rotisserie chicken in the freezer that I’ve deboned, so I used that for the soup. Thank you for helping me cook a unique dish for my family.

    Since I made so much, I’m going to attempt to freeze the leftovers and see how it does when I thaw and reheat it.

    Reply

  3. Marie-Helene says

    5 stars
    6 servings you say???
    tss tss, jealously I keep it to myself.
    I find the chicken broth is tastier (for me); I also add a touch of cayenne pepper.
    this recipe is a keeper and a no failure to impress guests (that is... I will ever share it;)

    Reply

  6. Sandy says

    My roommate made this and 10 minutes into the preparation the whole house smelled like a Thai restaurant 😃 (that’s a good thing!). We had it with Nann and a small watermelon salad and I can’t tell you how delicious this soup is❤️❤️❤️.
    This will be a regular for me!
    Thank you🙏🏻

    Reply

  9. Amanda Schoemer says

    The rice noodles in my turned out very mushy is there a different noodle I could use or rice maybe?

    Reply

    • Natasha says

      Hi Amanda! You could try adding cooked rice or a different kind of noodle/pasta, yes. I haven't tested it with anything else, though. Did you use the kind of rice noodles I suggested or that very thin vermicelli? I am wondering if maybe that's the issue. Vermicelli cooks practically instantly, so I would not use that kind for this particular recipe.

      Reply

  12. Melissa Borowy says

    5 stars
    Delicious! We didn’t have chicken so we just had it with some cabbage. Added some fish sauce for some extra flavor. It’s light and savory and I love it!

    Reply

    • Natasha says

      I've never cooked with it, so I don't have any suggestions on how much to use, but you could give it a try... especially if you've used it successfully in other Thai-inspired recipes. Let me know if you try!

      Reply

  16. Penny Lane says

    4 stars
    I loved this!!! I added thinly sliced white potatoes and some green beans cut on the diagonal. I also had some lemon grass paste. I had no basil except for 3-4 leaves from a defunct basil plant (which I did add). And, I had no rice noodles so I served the soup in bowls over rice balls. Instead of the 4 Tbsp of Thai red chili paste I used about 3. It certainly needed the 4. We had toppings of cashews, scallion, cilantro, sriracha, and brown sugar. I wanted to thicken it a little bit but couldn't find my corn starch...it was still delicious. Thank you

    Reply

  17. Laurie says

    Delicious recipe. Quick and easy!! I used brown rice instead of noodles and It was perfect. I will definitely make this tasty treat again!!

    Reply

  19. Maria Kleinman says

    This is another winner...best soup and so easy!! Will definitely be adding this into rotation and I can't wait to make it again. Considering adding green beans and bean sprouts next time.

    Reply

  20. Sandi says

    5 stars
    Just had this for dinner. Delicious. May add mushrooms and shrimp next time. Fabulous as it is. Made some easy flat bread to go with it. Very nice. Thanks for sharing.

    Can this be frozen?

    Reply

    • Natasha says

      So glad you liked it! I think you could freeze it. I haven't tried personally, but I don't see why not. The noodles may re-heat a little soggy, but I think it's worth trying.

      Reply

  22. Jennifer Hoenig says

    This is a family favorite. I use yellow curry to cool it down for the kids. I also puree the onions and broth to make it smooth. We have also added peppers for variation. We make this a lot.

    Reply

      • Bobbi says

        I would freeze it before adding the noodles.
        Or if you cooked the noodles, freeze them separately.
        I tend to put the noodles in the bowl ( cooked separately) and add the broth to the bowl. Helps with portion control- haha right! That way if there is leftovers ( only when I make a huge amount) I don’t have to worry about the noodles freezing weirdly or thawing in a mush.
        Just an idea!

        Reply

  24. Karen Lord says

    5 stars
    I absolutely love soup of all kinds and I have made this about 4 times now, my hubby and I LOVE IT! I shared some with a neighbor the last time I made it and she loved it so much that she begged me for the recipe!
    Thanks so much for one of my new favorite and easy soup recipes!

    Reply

    • Natasha says

      That's wonderful, Karen! I am so happy that it hits the spot. Thanks for passing the recipe onto your neighbor!

      Reply

  25. Edward McCullough says

    Needs about a tablespoon of fish sauce and a half tablespoon of sugar to genuinely bring out a traditional bright flavor. There's a sweet element to Thai food this recipe is missing.

    Reply

  26. Edwina says

    5 stars
    I am so lazy in the kitchen and don't like cooking but this recipe was so easy and quick. It looked and tasted amazing and was a hit. I'll be making this again! Thanks!

    Reply

  27. Elizabeth says

    5 stars
    I made this soup last night. It couldn't be any easier. Thought I had enough curry paste but was wrong. Still delicious and will add more paste to left-overs. Thank you for the recipe!

    Reply

  28. Lisa says

    5 stars
    Omg I made this 3 days ago & I’n still in love with it. I followed the recipe exactly, & it is really good. Ty so much for posting it!

    Reply

  29. Colleen Crawford says

    4 stars
    It was very tasty, however next time I will use a little less water to concentrate the flavors more. I also added a few tsp of fish sauce, and some red peppers for color. My husband and I loved it. The prep was much longer than five minutes. Mincing garlic, chopping onion, cilantro, peeling ginger, grating ginger, squeezing limes, cooking chicken and boiling the noodles took a lot longer than five minutes. It wasn't a fast recipe by any means, but it tasted good.

    Reply

    • Natasha says

      Hi Colleen, I am glad you liked it! Your additions sound very tasty. Yeah, prep time can definitely vary from person to person. It's sometimes difficult to calculate. I try to consider that perhaps not everyone is as fast as me (since I cook a LOT haha), but I will explain how I came up with that figure if it helps. I spend a couple of minutes chopping the onion, and then I get on with the rest of the recipe, so I suppose some of the prep is done while the recipe is already cooking, so to me that isn't really separate prep time since you're doing multiple things at once. I use frozen ginger (like I mentioned in the recipe), so it takes me only about 30 seconds or so to grate it. I use a garlic press, so mincing the garlic only takes about a minute or so. My chicken was already cooked and portioned out (I used a rotisserie chicken).

      Reply

  30. Lilly says

    Just tried it! It's really good. I just think I messed up with the metrics (I live in Europe) and put too much curry paste... My whole body is on fire lol!

    Reply

  31. Vicki says

    5 stars
    Making it tonight. Added some vegetables to make it more colorful (red bell peppers, green beans). I'm low carb, so no regular noodles. Unsure if I will use shirataki or just eat as soup. Not in a zoodles mood. Smells fabulous!

    Reply

  32. Terri says

    I made this today. So simple, very, very tasty! I used chicken stock and a rotisserie chicken. I added 4 dried Thai red peppers for heat. I'll make this again and again!!!

    Reply

  33. kristine says

    Absolutly amazing flavor! I liked more noodles so after we ate all the noodles and still had broth leftover I added more noodles for the second day. Great recipe!!

    Reply

  41. Mary Ann | The Beach House Kitchen says

    This does sound like it's packed with flavor. Great tip for the ginger. Thanks for sharing Natasha!

    Reply