Thai Red Curry Chicken Soup
Skip the takeout and whip up this comforting Thai Red Curry Chicken Soup in under 30 minutes. The flavourful coconut milk based broth, loaded with spices and fresh aromatics, will surely to make this a regular on your weeknight dinner table.
Love this recipe and Thai food in general? Be sure to check out these other Thai recipes from the blog: slow cooked Massaman style Beef Coconut Curry or Classic Thai Chicken Satay.
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This soup is so crave worthy and delicious, I’m excited to share the recipe with you today! Packed full of wonderful Thai flavours; the creamy coconut based broth with lemongrass, ginger/galangal, garlic, chilis, fish sauce, and spices warms you from head to toe. The recipe is super versatile and pressure cooking it in the Instant Pot makes it quicker than ordering takeout!
Red Curry Chicken Soup Recipe Inspiration
I always love it when a recipe is inspired by someone in my family. This Thai soup happens to be one of my sister’s favourite quick dinners after a busy day of work. I’m not sure where she got her recipe from but once she made it for the rest of us, we were all hooked!
What is in Thai Red Curry Soup?
Thai Red Curry Paste is an easy, flavourful way of injecting a lot of flavour into this soup without a lot of fuss. You can buy this handy paste in most Asian grocery stores or any big box grocery store. The paste consists of a powerful combination of spices (coriander, cumin, black pepper), shrimp paste, and aromatics like red chili peppers, lemongrass, garlic, lime leaves, and galangal.
The soup’s rich broth is a wonderful combination of the paste, coconut milk, and chicken stock. Now that we have the basics, let’s talk veggies. Every great soup begins with the basics: onions and celery. From there, check out the colourful pop of red and sweetness that the red bell peppers and tomatoes bring to the soup. Did I mention how versatile this soup is? Go ahead and leave either or both out if you prefer.
One ingredient that you may have noticed missing from this soup is noodles. There are no rules when it comes to the additions of this soup but I really do enjoy adding stringy enoki mushrooms in place of noodles.
If you’ve been following this blog for any length of time, you’ll know that I have nothing against noodles, but I do love the interesting texture the enoki mushrooms add to the soup.
This soup is so versatile, it can be made with chicken (as I have done), shrimp and even entirely vegan. My sister suggests frying the shrimp separately, then adding them in when the soup is finished.
How to Make Vegan Thai Red Curry Soup
This soup is so versatile, it’s adjustable to any dietary preference. It’s naturally dairy and gluten free if you stick to rice, rice noodles, or enoki. Additionally, it can easily be a great vegan option. If you would like to make it vegan, I suggest sourcing a red curry paste (or making your own) that does not contain shrimp paste. Next, switch the chicken stock for a good quality vegetable stock. Finally, adding puffy fried tofu cubes would complete the soup perfectly.
Helpful Hints for the Best Thai Red Curry Chicken Soup
As with most curries, begin by sautéing the curry paste in a bit of oil in the Instant Pot. Add the onions and celery in, then the ‘cream; portion of the canned coconut milks. If you’re wondering, it’s the solidified portion at the top of the can when you open it.
Stir to let paste fully incorporate into the cream then add the rest of the coconut milk, the stock, and the chicken. Cover and cook under high pressure for ten minutes then quickly release the pressure.
Remove the lid, then add the sliced red peppers, rice, and enoki mushrooms and allow to sit before serving. Garnish with fresh cilantro, peanuts or anything else you wish.Â
Thai Coconut Curry Soup
Skip the takeout and whip up this comforting Thai Red Curry Chicken Soup in under 30 minutes. The flavourful coconut milk based broth with spices and fresh aromatics will make this a regular on your dinner table. Â
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp oilÂ
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup red curry paste (see note*)
- 1 1/2 onions; chopped
- 2 cloves garlic; minced
- 3 celery stalks; chopped
- 8 chicken thighs; cut into 1 inch pieces
- 3 cans coconut milk
- 400 ml chicken stock
- 2 tomatoes or 2 red peppers; seeded and chopped
- 1 1/2 cups cooked rice
- 1 bunch enoki mushrooms
- lime wedeges to serve
- 1 tbsp fish sauce
Instructions
- Drizzle oil into the Instant Pot. Add red curry paste and sauté for one minute while constantly stirring.
- Add onions, garlic, and celery. Stir and sauté for another minute.
- Empty 3 cans of coconut milk into the pot, then add 400 ml chicken stock.
- Place chicken into the pot. Cover and seal.
- Cook on high pressure setting for ten minutes.
- Release pressure manually, then add tomatoes/red peppers and boil on the sauté setting for a few minutes.
- Add fish sauce, cooked rice, and enoki mushrooms to finish.
- Serve with a wedge of lime.
Notes
*The amount of curry paste you use depends upon the strength of the curry paste and your own personal taste.
*if you prefer noodles in the soup instead of rice, cook them separately and add them in just before serving.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 691Total Fat: 54gSaturated Fat: 34gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 18gCholesterol: 168mgSodium: 598mgCarbohydrates: 22gFiber: 2gSugar: 4gProtein: 37g
Nutritional calculation was provided by Nutritionix and is an estimation only. For special diets or medical issues please use your preferred calculator.
You had me at curry. I simply can’t have enough of curries and curry flavored recipe. This soup with bold Thai curry flavors looks stunning!
Thank you Jo. I love curry as well…all kinds!
I’m all about soup in the colder months and Instant Pot versions are the best!
Agree! Such a wonderful invention.
The flavors in this Thai red curry look spot on delicious. It’s amazing how much flavor a bit of fish sauce can give a dish like this and I love the textures you’re playing with there. Those enoki mushrooms are a brilliant addition!
True. To be honest, I love when I can use it instead of added salt. It’s a great ingredient.
This looks like comfort food kicked up a notch — super warm and filling, but also full of great, unique flavors! I can’t wait to share this with my family sometime soon!
Thanks Amy, I hope you all enjoy it and it becomes a new family fave.
This looks delicious, I have never had Thai Red Curry Chicken Soup before. The flavors sound amazing.
It’s so easy…just give it a try. So easy to make stove top as well.
I’m so happy I stumbled upon this recipe! It’s so full of flavor that you’d never guess it cooks so quickly, and it’s super easy to prepare.
That’s the truth! I love it. Even on the stove it’s quick to make and equally delicious.
This soup looks absolutely delicious and so comforting! Plus, It a good excuse to use my Instant Pot more often!
For sure! I use mine 3-4 times a week. I just love how quick it is even for little things like eggs.
I loooove all things Thai, especially soup! A nice spicy Thai soup is always my go-to when I’m sick. It helps clear it all out 😉 I have never tried a red curry one though! And hooray for another Instant Pot recipe to try!
Yep, I always reach for a spicy soup when I’m sick as well. This is a new go-to!
My husband and I were JUST talking about making curry when I stumbled across your recipe, and wow, a curry soup is perfect and especially in the Instant Pot! So excited to find this!
What perfect timing! Enjoy!
Pinned to make this very soon! I love Thai red curry and your recipe looks so easy, and it can be made in my Instant Pot. A win-win!
I hope you enjoy it soon Elaine!
In weather like this I always want something spicy.
Me too! It really hits the spot on the cold days!
Fabulous dish that is a must for all of the coconut milk lovers. And those spices look incredible – I can only imagine how flavorful they make this soup. And mushrooms replacing noodles is brilliant.
I just love the texture of the mushrooms, it really makes the soup for me.
I can’t wait to make this. I love chicken soup, and I’ve never had a variation like this before. It looks awesome.
It definitely mixes things up a bit to try new things!