Coconut Curry Soup – Spend With Pennies

A hearty bowl of rich, creamy, fragrant Coconut Curry Soup is the perfect meal any time of day.

A rich flavorful coconut curry broth is filled with fresh veggies, rice noodles, and either shrimp or chicken for a meal as pretty as it is delicious!

This recipe showcases some of our favorite flavors with fresh ginger, garlic, and curry in a coconut milk broth. Easy to make, nutritious, and delicious.

A Favorite Coconut Curry Soup

• Extra rich and flavorful, this is a delicious change from the usual.
• This cozy soup is great with almost any kind of meat or vegetables, chicken and shrimp are our favorites.
• The whole thing is made in just one-pot.
• Meat, veggies, aromatic herbs are all simmered in a creamy coconut broth infused with amazing flavor.
• To make this dish low carb, skip the rice noodles (add in some cauliflower florets in place).

Ingredients and Variations

While this isn’t a Thai coconut curry soup, the flavors in this recipe come from some of my favorite Thai ingredients.

BROTH: Red curry paste and fish sauce stirred into the broth and coconut milk give this soup its signature color and flavor. If you have never had fish sauce before it adds the most wonderful savory flavor to soups, sauces (like pad Thai sauce), and stir-fries. You can find all of these items at almost any grocery store or online (red curry paste here and fish sauce here).

Ensure you choose unsweetened coconut milk (full fat gives the best results). Fresh garlic and ginger are a must in this recipe and add so much flavor. Spice it up with a few dashes of Sriracha or Sambal or serve it on the side.

SHRIMP OR CHICKEN: Choose peeled, deveined shrimp with the tails removed. Or use cooked chicken (leftover or rotisserie chicken is perfect here!).

VEGETABLES: Any kind of veggies can go in coconut curry soup! Aside from what’s in the recipe, experiment with broccoli, cabbage, diced carrots, or sweet potatoes.

RICE NOODLES: Rice noodles come in various widths, I prefer noodles that are a little bit thicker (and often labeled for pad Thai or stir fry).  Rice noodles are sometimes soaked in boiling water and not simmered but in this soup recipe, they are simmered for a few minutes and continue to cook through as the soup rests. If you plan on leftovers, the noodles can be soaked or simmered per the package directions and added to each serving individually.

VARIATIONS: Omit the meat altogether and stir in roasted butternut squash or sweet potato cubes. A drained can of lentils will add color, texture, and a healthy pop of protein!

How to Make Coconut Curry Soup

It’s easy to make a restaurant-worthy soup:

1. Soften the onion in oil. Add red curry paste, ginger, & garlic (per the recipe below).
2. Stir in broth ingredients and scrape bits from the bottom of the pot. Simmer.
3. Add bell pepper, then shrimp or chicken. Remove from heat, cover, & rest.
4. Garnish with lime wedges & fresh herbs!

What to Serve with Coconut Curry Soup?

This bright and bold soup is a meal within itself.

Garnishes: Fresh herbs like cilantro and Thai basil (regular basil will work if it is all you have). Fresh mint.

Salad: Cucumber Onion Salad, Tossed Salad with a light vinagrette dressing.

Leftovers

Keep leftover coconut curry soup in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat soup on the stove. Freeze portions in zippered bags with the date labeled on the outside for up to one month.

More Favorite Ways With Noodles

Did you make this Coconut Curry Soup? Be sure to leave a rating and a comment below! 

Coconut Curry Soup

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 50 minutes

Servings 4 servings

Author Holly Nilsson

Made with shrimp, veggies, Thai red curry paste, and coconut milk, this soup is bursting with Asian-inspired flavors!

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• Zest 1 teaspoon of lime zest and set aside. Juice half of the lime (about 1 tablespoon of juice) and reserve the rest for serving.

• Heat vegetable oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add sliced onion to the pan and cook until it begins to soften, about 4 minutes.

• Add curry paste, ginger, and garlic and stir until fragrant, about 2 minutes.

• Stir in chicken broth, coconut milk, and fish sauce, scraping up any brown bits. Add mushrooms and lime zest, simmer 15 minutes.

• Add bell pepper and rice noodles* (see note), simmer for 3 minutes more.

• Stir in raw shrimp or cooked chicken, turn off the heat, and cover. Let rest 5-6 minutes or until shrimp is cooked through or chicken is heated through and the noodles have softened.

• Stir in the juiced lime. Serve with fresh herbs and additional lime wedges.

To zest the lime, use a zester or fine grater to remove just the green part of the peel. You do not want to include the white part (the pith) as it is bitter.
If using shrimp, be sure not to overcook. The heat from the soup will cook them quickly.
Fresh garlic and ginger are recommended for this soup.
If you’d prefer a thicker soup, add 2 teaspoons of cornstarch to 2 teaspoons of cold water. Stir into the simmering broth before adding the noodles.
*NOODLE NOTES
The noodles are simmered for a few minutes and will be undercooked. As you add the shrimp or chicken to the soup and let it rest, the noodles will continue to soften and cook through. The package I use suggests a 10 minute soaking time, if your noodles call for more or less time you may need to adjust when they are added to the broth.
If left in the fridge and stored overnight, rice noodles can become mushy. If you plan on leftovers, the noodles can be soaked or boiled per the package directions instead of cooking in the soup. Add noodles to each serving individually.

Serving: 1.5cups, Calories: 383, Carbohydrates: 37g, Protein: 7g, Fat: 25g, Saturated Fat: 19g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3g, Cholesterol: 7mg, Sodium: 1907mg, Potassium: 510mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 5g, Vitamin A: 2130IU, Vitamin C: 48mg, Calcium: 71mg, Iron: 4mg

(Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.)

Course Dinner, Lunch, Seafood, Soup

Cuisine American, Asian

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