Description
A flavorful Thai-inspired coconut chicken soup combining fragrant herbs and spices with creamy coconut milk, tender chicken, and fresh mushrooms for a comforting and aromatic dish.
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 (or to taste), finely sliced
- 10g coriander, leaves picked and stalks finely chopped
- 1 tbsp Thai red curry paste
- 400ml can coconut milk
- 400ml chicken stock
- 2 lime leaves (fresh or dried)
Main Ingredients
- 2 chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
- 300g white mushrooms, sliced
Seasonings
- 1½ tbsp fish sauce
- 2 tsp golden caster sugar
- 1 lime, juiced
Instructions
- Prepare the flavor base: Heat the oil in a large, deep saucepan over medium-high heat. Add finely chopped banana shallots, bashed lemongrass stalk, crushed garlic, peeled and sliced galangal (or galangal paste), sliced Thai chillies, finely chopped coriander stalks, and Thai red curry paste. Cook and stir often for 1-2 minutes until the mixture is fragrant.
- Add liquids and simmer: Pour in the coconut milk and chicken stock, stirring well to loosen any browned bits from the pan bottom. Bring the mixture to a simmer and let it cook gently for 10-15 minutes to blend the flavors.
- Cook the chicken and mushrooms: Mix in the bite-sized chicken pieces and lime leaves. Return the soup to a gentle bubble and cook for 10 minutes until the chicken is cooked through. Add the sliced mushrooms during the last 5 minutes of cooking to soften them without overcooking.
- Season and finish: Stir in the fish sauce and golden caster sugar into the soup. Add lime juice to taste, balancing the tanginess and saltiness. Adjust seasoning with a splash more fish sauce or sugar if needed. Remove the lemongrass stalk and galangal slices before serving.
- Serve: Ladle the soup into bowls and sprinkle fresh coriander leaves over the top for garnish and extra flavor.
Notes
- You can adjust the number of Thai chillies to control the heat level of the soup.
- If galangal is unavailable, ginger can be used as a substitute but will alter the flavor slightly.
- Fresh lime leaves are preferred but dried lime leaves work well if fresh ones are not accessible.
- This soup is best served immediately but can be refrigerated for up to 2 days.
- For a vegetarian version, substitute chicken with tofu and use vegetable stock instead of chicken stock, and omit fish sauce or replace it with soy sauce.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Thai
Keywords: Thai coconut chicken soup, Thai soup, coconut milk soup, chicken soup, Thai red curry soup, spicy chicken soup
