Loaded with chicken, veggies, and noodles with just the right amount of spice, this Thai Curry Chicken Soup is the perfect easy, comforting meal that you’ll want to go back to all winter long.
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Next time you’re craving warm, comforting, and perfectly spicy Thai food, put down the takeout menu and whip up a batch of our quick-cooking Thai curry chicken soup instead. The base of this brothy dish is flavor-packed red curry paste. Then we build on those spices with bell peppers, straw mushrooms, creamy coconut milk, tender chicken, and rice noodles. Even though the flavors are complex, the entire dish comes together in 45 minutes.
The first thing you’ll do for this Thai curry chicken soup is saute the chicken (though if you want to save time, you can also buy a rotisserie chicken or use some pre-made shredded chicken instead). Once that’s done, you’ll simply slice and saute two bell peppers, then whisk together the curry paste, broth, and coconut milk, toss in some straw mushrooms, and bring the whole thing to a simmer. While the soup simmers, you’ll prep the rice noodles. If you’ve wound up with mushy rice noodles in the past, the key is to just barely cook them (more on that below).
Since this soup has it all (protein, veggies, and noodles), it’s a complete meal in one bowl. But if you’d like to add to it, serve it alongside some fresh green veg like steamed broccoli, simple green beans, or our citrusy Spinach Salad with Spicy Lemon Salad Dressing.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Flavor-packed red curry paste, chicken, veggies, and rice noodles – what’s not to love?
- Ready in 45 minutes, with just 10 minutes of prep
- Friendly to Paleo and grain-free diets
Thai Chicken Soup Recipe Ingredients
Here’s everything you’ll need to make a batch of this warm and comforting soup. Find ingredient notes (including substitutions and swaps) below.
- Avocado oil – 1 tablespoon avocado oil (or another fat of your choice)
- Chicken breast – 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast
- Salt – 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- Bell peppers – 1 red and 1 yellow bell pepper (although orange or green would work too)
- Chicken broth – 1 quart chicken broth
- Curry paste – 4 ounces red curry paste
- Coconut milk – 1 can of full-fat coconut milk
- Limes – 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, plus some wedges for garnish
- Coconut aminos – 1 tablespoon coconut aminos
- Ground ginger – 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- Fish sauce – 1/4 teaspoon fish sauce
- Straw mushrooms – a 15-ounce can of straw mushrooms
- Rice noodles – 4 ounces thin rice noodles
- Cilantro – Chopped fresh cilantro for garnish
A full ingredient list with exact amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
Recipe Variations and Modifications
Here’s how to give this warming Thai chicken soup your own spin:
- No rice noodles? No problem – If you don’t have any rice noodles on hand, feel free to serve your soup with a mound of perfectly cooked white rice instead.
- Go grain-free + Paleo-friendly – For a grain-free and Paleo-friendly alternative, substitute kelp noodles or zucchini noodles for the rice noodles.
How to Make Thai Curry Soup
Here’s how this easy and comforting Thai soup comes together.
Step 1: Add the olive oil to a large pot over medium-high heat. Chop the chicken into 1-inch cubes and toss with the salt. Add the chicken to the pot, working in batches if necessary, and cook for 3-4 minutes, until browned, then flip and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes, until browned and cooked through, then remove from the pot.
Step 2: Add the bell pepper to the pot and saute for 3-4 minutes, until slightly browned and wilted, then remove from the pot.
Step 3: Add the chicken broth, curry paste, coconut milk, lime juice, coconut aminos, ginger, and fish sauce to the pot and whisk to combine. Stir in the straw mushrooms along with the chicken and bell peppers, then reduce heat to medium-low cover, and simmer for 10-15 minutes.
Step 4: While the soup is cooking, bring a pot of water to boil. Once boiling, remove from heat and add the noodles. Let sit for 2-3 minutes, until fully cooked through, then drain the noodles.
Step 5: Stir the noodles into the soup, then garnish with cilantro and lime wedges and serve!
Recipe Tips
Rice noodles – these inexpensive and delicious noodles can get overcooked quickly. And there are SO many different rice noodles out there, there’s it’s hard to give a one-size-fits-all-noodles cook time recommendation. So it’s always best to follow the cook time listed on the packaging for the specific noodles you’re using. See below for more tips on how to cook rice noodles.
Cilantro – since cilantro has soft, edible stems, you can actually skip the chopping if you’d like and eat the stems and leaves together. The whole stems look pretty on top of curries and other Thai dishes.
How to Serve Thai Soup
Serve the soup warm, garnished with fresh cilantro and lime wedges.
How to Store and Reheat
Store the soup and rice noodles separately for up to 5 days. (You don’t want to add all of the noodles to the soup base, or it will become gummy.)
Frequently Asked Questions
Curry paste is an essential ingredient in several different Asian cuisines, and ingredients vary by countries, regions, and recipes. This recipe calls for Thai red curry paste, which often includes dried chiles, garlic, shallots, lemongrass, galangal, cilantro roots, makrut lime leaves or zest, white peppercorns, shrimp paste, and salt.
Rice noodles cook QUICKLY. So if your rice noodles are gummy, sticky, or mushy, overcooking is likely the culprit. The cook time varies by shape, width, and brand, so there’s no one-size-fits-all recommendation. But here are a few ways to ensure perfectly cooked rice noodles every time:
Don’t cook your noodles for longer than the amount of time recommended on the packaging.
If you’re not using the noodles immediately, rinse them in cold water to prevent them from cooking more off the residual heat – and to keep them from clumping.
Keep them away from hot stoves or other heat as you finish cooking the soup.
Avoid adding the noodles to your soup base / other dishes until you’re ready to eat.
Store your noodles separately from the soup base so they don’t absorb excess liquid.
More Favorite Thai-Inspired Recipes
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Thai Curry Chicken Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil, or other fat of choice
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast (or about 2 1/2 cups shredded chicken)
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 1 yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 1 quart chicken broth
- 4 ounces red curry paste
- 1, 13.5 ounce can full-fat coconut milk
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 1 tablespoon coconut aminos
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon fish sauce
- 15 ounces straw mushrooms, drained.
- 4 ounces thin rice noodles 1/2 package
- Chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish
- Lime wedges, for garnish
Instructions
- Add the olive oil to a large pot over medium-high heat. Chop the chicken into 1-inch cubes and toss with the salt. Add the chicken to the pot, working in batches if necessary, and cook for 3-4 minutes, until browned, then flip and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes, until browned and cooked through, then remove from the pot.
- Add the bell pepper to the pot and saute for 3-4 minutes, until slightly browned and wilted, then remove from the pot.
- Add the chicken broth, curry paste, coconut milk, lime juice, coconut aminos, ginger, and fish sauce to the pot and whisk to combine. Stir in the straw mushrooms along with the chicken and bell peppers, then reduce heat to medium-low cover, and simmer for 10-15 minutes.
- While the soup is cooking, bring a pot of water to boil. Once boiling, remove from heat and add the noodles. Let sit for 2-3 minutes, until fully cooked through, then drain the noodles.
- Stir the noodles into the soup, then garnish with cilantro and lime wedges and serve!
Recipe Notes
- For a grain-free and Paleo-friendly alternative: substitute kelp noodles or zucchini noodles for the rice noodles!
Nutrition
Seriously amazing! So easy and delicious! My whole family loved it. This will be on regular rotation for us!
We are so glad to hear that, Kiara! Thank you so much for taking the time to share with us. -Team FF
This was so good and so easy! Added in some extra veggies from the fridge and used hearts of palm pasta. Will definitely be a repeat!
Wahoo! So glad to hear that, Katie!
This is a delicious soup! Made it a few times now and it is so easy. Thank you
We’re so glad you love it, Karen. Thank you so much for sharing this with us!
This soup is delicious, full of flavor, easy to make, and healthy! A great way to use leftover chicken. This will definitely become part of the regular recipes at my house!
So glad to hear that, Sophia. Thank you so much for sharing this with us!
I’m thrilled to be seeing nutritional information now. Is it possible to add serving sizes to nutritional information down the road? Also, does current cookbook have nutritional info because I will order immediately? Thanks, Lynda
The current book does have nutritional info! You’ll see the yield at the top of each recipe card – that should help with serving size, Lynda!
I made it today and it is delicious! My husband loves it too. I only had a can of light coconut milk, so I used it. Can you provide the calorie count?
Can you make this in the instant pot?
Can you be more specific on “1 jar of red curry paste”? What jar was used in this recipe? How many ounces are we talking? Thanks!
It’s 4 ounces!
Made this recipe tonight, it was delicious and easy to put together. Will definitely make again. I think it would be rally good with shrimp as well.
So glad you liked it Joyce! Love the idea of making it with shrimp.
So freakin yummy (and easy)! Had it for dinner tonight… can’t get enough! Thank you!