Description
This Thai-inspired coconut chicken soup is a fragrant and comforting dish featuring tender chicken breast pieces simmered in creamy coconut milk, aromatic lemongrass, galangal, and Thai red curry paste, balanced with lime juice, fish sauce, and fresh coriander. It offers a perfect blend of spicy, sour, and savory flavors typical of Thai cuisine.
Ingredients
Scale
Soup Base
- 1 tbsp vegetable or other flavourless oil
- 2 banana shallots, finely chopped
- 1 lemongrass stalk, bashed
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 5g galangal, peeled and sliced, or 2 tsp galangal paste
- 1–2 Thai chillies, finely sliced (adjust to taste)
- 10g coriander, leaves picked and stalks finely chopped
- 1 tbsp Thai red curry paste
- 400ml can coconut milk
- 400ml chicken stock
Main Ingredients
- 2 chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
- 2 lime leaves (fresh or dried)
- 300g white mushrooms, sliced
Seasonings & Finishing
- 1½ tbsp fish sauce
- 2 tsp golden caster sugar
- 1 lime, juiced
Instructions
- Prepare Aromatics: Heat the vegetable oil in a large, deep saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the finely chopped shallots, bashed lemongrass stalk, crushed garlic, peeled and sliced galangal (or galangal paste), sliced Thai chillies, chopped coriander stalks, and Thai red curry paste. Cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently, until the mixture becomes fragrant and slightly softened.
- Add Liquids and Simmer: Pour in the coconut milk and chicken stock. Stir well to release any browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer and cook for 10-15 minutes to develop flavors.
- Cook Chicken and Mushrooms: Add the bite-sized chicken breast pieces and lime leaves to the simmering soup. Maintain a gentle bubble and cook for 10 minutes until the chicken is cooked through. Then, add the sliced white mushrooms and cook for an additional 5 minutes.
- Season and Finish: Stir in the fish sauce and golden caster sugar. Add the lime juice to taste, balancing the sour, salty, and sweet flavors. Adjust with a splash more fish sauce or sugar if necessary. Remove the lemongrass stalk and galangal slices from the soup. Serve hot, garnished with fresh coriander leaves.
Notes
- Adjust the number of Thai chillies to control the spiciness of the soup.
- Fresh lime leaves add a fragrant citrus note but dried ones work as well.
- You can substitute galangal with ginger if unavailable, though the flavor will differ slightly.
- For a vegetarian version, substitute chicken with tofu and use vegetable stock.
- Use light coconut milk for a lower-fat version, though the soup will be less creamy.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Thai
Keywords: Thai chicken soup, coconut chicken soup, Thai coconut soup, lemongrass soup, galangal soup, Thai curry soup, spicy chicken soup
