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Intro to Thai Classics
Recipe
50 min

Thai Chicken Soup

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Thai Chicken Soup
Author: Matthew Card

Recipe By Matthew Card

Published on April 6, 2026

Adding aromatics to a Thai red curry paste is a quick way to big curry flavor.

Time

50 min

Yield

Serves 4 for main course, 6 to 8 for appetizer

Why This Recipe Works

For a complex Thai-inspired coconut soup recipe, we developed a rich base by using equal parts chicken broth and coconut milk. Our substitution for some of the traditional ingredients was jarred red curry paste, which included all the flavors we were missing. Just adding a dollop at the very end of cooking and whisking it with savory fish sauce and tart lime juice allowed all the flavors of our Thai Chicken Soup to come through loud and clear.


Ingredients

Soup

1 teaspoon vegetable oil
3 stalks lemongrass, tough outer leaves removed, bottom 5 inches halved lengthwise and sliced thin crosswise
3 large shallots, chopped
8 sprigs fresh cilantro leaves, chopped coarse
3 tablespoons fish sauce
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 (14-ounce) cans coconut milk, well-shaken
1 tablespoon sugar
½ pound white mushrooms, cleaned, stems trimmed, cut into ¼-inch slices
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, halved lengthwise and sliced on bias into ⅛-inch-thick pieces
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice from 2 to 3 limes
2 teaspoons red curry paste (Thai)

Garnish

½ cup fresh cilantro leaves
2 serrano chiles, sliced thin
2 scallions, sliced thin on bias
1 lime, cut into wedges

Instructions

Cook along with these step-by-step instructions

step 1 imagestep 2 imagestep 3 imagestep 4 image
  1. Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat until just shimmering. Add lemongrass, shallots, cilantro, and 1 tablespoon fish sauce; cook, stirring frequently, until just softened, 2 to 5 minutes (vegetables should not brown). Stir in chicken broth and 1 can coconut milk; bring to simmer over high heat. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer until flavors have blended, 10 minutes. Pour broth through fine-mesh strainer and discard solids in strainer. Rinse saucepan and return broth mixture to pan.
    Recipe Tip
    If you want a soup with less fat, it is possible to substitute light coconut milk for one or both cans of regular coconut milk. Fresh lemongrass can be omitted, but the soup will lack some complexity. Don't be tempted to use jarred or dried lemongrass.
  2. Return pan to medium-high heat. Stir remaining can coconut milk and sugar into broth mixture and bring to simmer. Reduce heat to medium, add mushrooms, and cook until just tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Add chicken and cook, stirring constantly, until no longer pink, 1 to 3 minutes. Remove soup from heat.
  3. Combine lime juice, curry paste, and remaining 2 tablespoons fish sauce in small bowl; stir into soup. Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with cilantro, chiles, and scallions. Serve immediately with lime wedges.

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Thai Chicken Soup

Recipe By Matthew Card

Published on April 6, 2026

Time

50 min

Yield

Serves 4 for main course, 6 to 8 for appetizer

Thai Chicken Soup

Ingredients

Soup

1 teaspoon vegetable oil3 stalks lemongrass, tough outer leaves removed, bottom 5 inches halved lengthwise and sliced thin crosswise3 large shallots, chopped8 sprigs fresh cilantro leaves, chopped coarse3 tablespoons fish sauce4 cups low-sodium chicken broth2 (14-ounce) cans coconut milk, well-shaken1 tablespoon sugar½ pound white mushrooms, cleaned, stems trimmed, cut into ¼-inch slices1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, halved lengthwise and sliced on bias into ⅛-inch-thick pieces3 tablespoons fresh lime juice from 2 to 3 limes2 teaspoons red curry paste (Thai)

Garnish

½ cup fresh cilantro leaves2 serrano chiles, sliced thin2 scallions, sliced thin on bias1 lime, cut into wedges

Instructions

  1. Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat until just shimmering. Add lemongrass, shallots, cilantro, and 1 tablespoon fish sauce; cook, stirring frequently, until just softened, 2 to 5 minutes (vegetables should not brown). Stir in chicken broth and 1 can coconut milk; bring to simmer over high heat. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer until flavors have blended, 10 minutes. Pour broth through fine-mesh strainer and discard solids in strainer. Rinse saucepan and return broth mixture to pan.
    Recipe Tip
    If you want a soup with less fat, it is possible to substitute light coconut milk for one or both cans of regular coconut milk. Fresh lemongrass can be omitted, but the soup will lack some complexity. Don't be tempted to use jarred or dried lemongrass.
  2. Return pan to medium-high heat. Stir remaining can coconut milk and sugar into broth mixture and bring to simmer. Reduce heat to medium, add mushrooms, and cook until just tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Add chicken and cook, stirring constantly, until no longer pink, 1 to 3 minutes. Remove soup from heat.
  3. Combine lime juice, curry paste, and remaining 2 tablespoons fish sauce in small bowl; stir into soup. Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with cilantro, chiles, and scallions. Serve immediately with lime wedges.
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