This Thai chicken curry soup is quick, easy, comforting, and full of fabulous flavor. A great way to use up leftover or rotisserie chicken!
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.
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).
I wish I had a bowl of this right now.
Writing up recipes days after I’ve made them is hard sometimes. 😛
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?
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!
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).
Recipe 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.
If you like the look of this soup, you may also like my Thai lemongrass coconut soup or my Thai sweet potato coconut red curry.