Best Thai Coconut Soup Recipes

THE BEST THAI COCONUT SOUP

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Cook and stir the ginger, lemongrass, and curry paste in the heated oil for 1 minute. Slowly pour the chicken broth over the mixture, stirring continually. Stir in the fish sauce and brown sugar; simmer for 15 minutes. Stir in the coconut milk and mushrooms; cook and stir until the mushrooms are soft, about 5 minutes. Add the shrimp; cook until no longer translucent about 5 minutes. Stir in the lime juice; season with salt; garnish with cilantro.

SPICY THAI COCONUT CHICKEN SOUP

Steps:

• Toss chicken with cornstarch. In a 6-qt. stockpot, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat; saute chicken until lightly browned, 2-3 minutes. Remove from pot., In same pan, saute onion, jalapeno and garlic in remaining oil over medium-high heat until onion is tender, 3-4 minutes. Stir in seasonings, chili sauce, coconut milk and broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, 20 minutes., Stir in cabbage, snow peas and chicken; cook, uncovered, just until cabbage is crisp-tender and chicken is cooked through, 3-4 minutes. Serve with green onions and lime wedges.

THAI COCONUT CHICKEN SOUP

Steps:

• For the chicken stock: Place the chicken and vegetables in a large stockpot over medium heat. Pour in only enough cold water to cover (about 3 quarts); too much will make the broth taste weak. Toss in the thyme, bay leaves, and peppercorns, and allow it to slowly come to a boil. Lower the heat to medium-low and gently simmer for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, partially covered, until the chicken is done. As it cooks, skim any impurities that rise to the surface; add a little more water if necessary to keep the chicken covered while simmering.
• Carefully remove the chicken to a cutting board. When its cool enough to handle, discard the skin and bones; hand-shred the meat into a storage container.
• Carefully strain the stock through a fine sieve into another pot to remove the vegetable solids. Use the stock immediately or if you plan on storing it, place the pot in a sink full of ice water and stir to cool down the stock. Cover and refrigerate for up to one week or freeze. Makes: 2 quarts
• For the soup: Bring 4 cups of stock to a boil over medium heat in a soup pot. Add the lime leaves, chiles, garlic, ginger and lemongrass. Lower the heat to medium-low; cover the pot and gently simmer to let the spices infuse the broth, about 10 minutes.
• Uncover the pot and stir in the chicken, coconut milk, mushrooms, fish sauce, sugar and lime juice. Simmer to heat the chicken through, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Ladle the soup into a soup tureen or individual serving bowls. Garnish with the cilantro. Be careful to avoid chewing the lemongrass, ginger or lime leaves.

TOM KA KAI (THAI COCONUT CHICKEN SOUP)

Steps:

• In the bottom of a large soup pot, heat the oil over high heat until very hot but not smoking. I often make this is a wok on the stove.
• Salt the chicken and add to oil, tossing to brown all the pieces. Cook about 3 minutes or until outside is browned, but not necessarily cooked all the way through.
• Add mushrooms and toss. Allow to cook until some of the moisture is cooked out and the mushrooms are soft. Turn down heat to medium-low.
• To prepare the lemongrass, slice and mince the lower portion and reserve the stalk to flavor the soup. You can use a food processor for this, or just mince it by hand. The woody upper portion of the stalk will be removed later, so don't chop it up, simply score it by making a few superficial cuts in it to allow it to flavor the soup.
• Add the whites of the onions, reserving the greens. Add the minced lower portion of the lemongrass, grated galangal, and chilies. Toss until just warmed through.
• Add the lemongrass stalk, lime leaves, chicken stock, coconut milk, lime juice, fish sauce, brown sugar and remaining onions, reserving just a few for garnish. Simmer over low heat for 15 minutes to allow flavors to blend well.
• Taste test and adjust flavors as follows:.
• Not salty enough - add more fish sauce.
• Too sour - add a little more brown sugar.
• Too spicy - add more coconut milk.
• Not spicy enough - add more chilies.
• Ladle into 4 soup bowls and garnish with remaining onion greens, cilantro, and basil.
• Variations:.
• Add more vegetables such as some sliced red bell peppers with the mushrooms.
• Serve over wide rice noodles for a main dish serving.
• Make vegetarian by increasing mushrooms in place of chicken and substituting vegetable stock.

THAI COCONUT CHICKEN CURRY SOUP

Steps:

• Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add minced ginger and garlic; saute for 1 minute. Stir in curry paste and cook for 1 minute. Add chicken and cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add stock, coconut milk, water, ginger piece, lime juice, and 1/4 cup cilantro stems. Bring to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes.
• Discard ginger piece. Stir in snow peas and noodles. Cook until noodles are tender, about 3 minutes. Top with cilantro sprigs and serve with lime wedges.

THAI COCONUT CHICKEN SOUP (NOODLE BOWL)

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Remove from heat, add noodles, and cover.
• Peel and discard tough outer leaves from lemongrass. Roughly chop pale inner stalk and transfer to a food processor; pulse until minced, 1 to 2 minutes.
• Bring chicken broth to a boil in another large pot. Add lemongrass, chicken, mushrooms, red chile pepper. Cook for 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium; stir in coconut milk, ginger, fish sauce, and garlic. Simmer soup gently until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the chicken reads at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C), 10 to 15 minutes.
• Transfer chicken to a cutting board; slice thinly and return to the pot. Stir in lime juice and sugar.
• Drain noodles and divide among serving bowls. Ladle soup on top. Garnish with a lime wedge, green onions, and basil.

THAI CHICKEN AND COCONUT MILK SOUP

Steps:

• Place the chicken stock in a heavy-bottomed pot over high heat. Add the lime peel, lemon peel, ginger root, green chiles, and the cilantro stems and roots. Bring to a boil, turn down to a simmer and cook until reduced to 3 cups. Press occasionally on the solids with a wooden spoon to release flavor. Working with a sharp knife, cut the chicken breasts into broad slices, as thin as possible. Salt lightly, and reserve in refrigerator. When broth is reduced, strain into a measuring cup. Press on the solids in the strainer with a wooden spoon. Place the coconut milk in the soup pot over medium heat. Slowly stir in the reduced broth. Warm rapidly but do not allow to boil (otherwise the coconut milk will separate). When the soup is just below the boiling point, add the chicken slices. Remove from heat after 30 seconds (or when the chicken is just cooked through). Just before serving, mix together the lime juice and sugar in a small bowl. Blend in the fish sauce. Pour mixture into hot soup, season to taste and garnish soup with a little bit of chopped scallion and cilantro leaves. Yield: 6 first-course servings.
• Optional step: If your soup has curdled a bit, or if you'd like a fluffier texture in the soup, before you add the chicken, place the soup in a blender at high speed for 30 seconds. Then return to pot, add chicken and proceed as before. As an appetizer: Looks lovely served individually in six wide, shallow soup bowls. Great starter for many kinds of meals, not just Thai. As a main course: By doubling the amount of chicken and keeping the same amount of liquid, you convert this soup practically into a stew. The six wide, shallow bowls still work well; place a half-cup of steamed white rice to one side in each bowl, then divide the soup/stew among the bowls. Serve a tomato salad on the side that has been dressed with lime juice, sugar, fish sauce, and topped with chopped peanuts and minced cilantro. If you can get the Thai ingredients: for the lime and lemon peel, substitute 3/8 cup Keffir lime leaves, 2 lemon grass stalks chopped, 3 thick slices dried galanga root.

SLOW-COOKER THAI COCONUT CHICKEN SOUP

Steps:

• Spray 5- to 6-quart slow cooker with cooking spray. In slow cooker, mix carrots, onion, bell pepper, garlic, gingerroot, fish sauce and curry paste. In 12-inch skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Cook chicken in oil 6 minutes, turning once, until browned on both sides. Place chicken over vegetables in slow cooker. Pour broth over chicken.
• Cover; cook on Low heat setting 5 hours or until chicken is tender. Remove chicken from slow cooker to plate; shred, using 2 forks. Return chicken to slow cooker. Stir in coconut milk, mushrooms and basil. Cover; cook 30 minutes longer or until mushrooms are tender. Stir in lime juice before serving.

AUTHENTIC THAI COCONUT SOUP

Steps:

• Bring a pot of water to a boil. Boil the shrimp until cooked, about one minute. Drain shrimp, and set aside.
• Pour the coconut milk and 2 cups of water in a large saucepan; bring to a simmer. Add the galangal, lemon grass, and lime leaves; simmer for 10 minutes, or until the flavors are infused. Strain the coconut milk into a new pan and discard the spices. Simmer the shiitake mushrooms in the coconut milk for five minutes. Stir in the lime juice, fish sauce, and brown sugar. Season to taste with curry powder.
• To serve, reheat shrimp in the soup, and ladle into serving bowls. Garnish with green onion and red pepper flakes.

THAI CHICKEN-COCONUT SOUP

Steps:

• Place noodles in a bowl; add enough warm water to cover and let sit until soft, about 15 minutes. Drain. Combine broth, pepper, garlic, ginger, lemon zest, lime zest, lemon juice and 3 tablespoon fish sauce in a medium saucepan. Season with salt. Bring to a simmer, add noodles and cook 3 minutes more. Using tongs, transfer noodles to a bowl and cover with foil to keep warm. Add mushrooms to broth; season with salt, if desired; simmer 3 minutes more. Add chicken and coconut milk and simmer, stirring, until chicken is just cooked, about 3 minutes. Stir in spinach until it begins to wilt, about 1 minute. Add chopped cilantro and season with remaining 1 tablespoon fish sauce. Using tongs, divide noodles among 4 bowls. Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with sprigs of cilantro and slices of pepper.

THAI-INSPIRED COCONUT CURRY SOUP WITH VEGETABLES

Steps:

• Cook the noodles according to package directions. Drain, rinse and set aside.
• While the noodles cook, in a medium pot, warm the oil over medium heat. Add the sweet potato, ginger, garlic and red curry paste. Season with a pinch each of salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture turns a shade darker and begins to stick to the bottom of the pot, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Stir in the coconut milk, snow peas, 1 cup water and 1 teaspoon salt. Bring to a simmer and cook until the snow peas are bright green and the sweet potato is tender, 5 to 7 minutes.
• Remove from heat. Cut the lime in half; squeeze one half into the curry and cut the other half into four wedges. Divide the noodles among bowls, top with the curry and herbs. Squeeze more lime juice over as desired.

THAI SHRIMP COCONUT SOUP

Steps:

• Add water and coconut milk to pot and whisk.
• Add salt.
• Bring to the boil.
• Add galangal, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, and red curry paste.
• Reduce the heat to a simmer for 10-15 minutes.
• Strain of the big pieces.
• Add mushrooms and jalapeno peppers.
• Cook for 5 minutes.
• Add shrimp and cook till shrimp is done.
• Add green onions and lime juice.
• Cook for 5 minutes.
• Garnish with coriander leaves or thai basil.

TOM KHA KAI - THAI COCONUT/CHICKEN SOUP

Steps:

• 1. Cut lower portion of lemon grass into 1 inch lengths and crush. Tear kaffir lime leaves in half. Combine half the coconut milk with the broth, galangal, lemon grass and lime leaves in a large saucepan and heat to boiling.
• 2. Add the chicken, fish sauce and sugar. Simmer for about 5 minutes, or until chicken is cooked, then add remaining coconut milk.
• 3. Heat just to boiling, add chili paste and lime juice, stir until blended. Garnish with cilantro leaves and crushed chili peppers.
• 4. NOTE: The galangal and lemon grass are for flavoring, not to eat! When I can't get fresh kaffir lime leaves at my local Asian market, I substitute kaffir lime powder. Fresh leaves, lemon grass and galangal can all be successfully frozen. I've also used minced lemon grass in a tube from the produce section. Powdered galangal is available, too. Fresh is better, of course!

THAI ZUCCHINI-COCONUT SOUP

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium. Add zucchini, shallots, ginger, garlic, and 2 teaspoons salt; cook, stirring occasionally, until zucchini softens but has not developed any color, 10 to 12 minutes. Add potato, coconut milk, and 2 1/2 cups water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until potato is easily pierced with the tip of a knife, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from heat; let cool slightly. Stir in cilantro and lime juice. Transfer mixture to a blender, working in batches if necessary, and purée until very silky and smooth, 2 to 3 minutes. Refrigerate until cold, at least 4 hours or, in an airtight container, up to 3 days. Season with salt; serve topped with zucchini slices and cilantro leaves.

THAI COCONUT, BROCCOLI AND CORIANDER SOUP

Steps:

• Place the curry paste in a medium saucepan over medium heat and cook, stirring, for 1 minute or until fragrant. Add the coconut milk, water, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Add the broccoli, cover and cook for 10 minutes or until the broccoli is tender. Remove from the heat and add the spinach leaves and half the cilantro.
• Using an immersion blender, blend the soup until smooth. Divide among serving bowls and top with the extra spinach, remaining cilantro, scallions and shallots.

THAI (GREEN CURRY COCONUT) SOUP

Steps:

• Melt butter in large stock pot.
• Add garlic, ginger, onions, celery and cook until tender.
• Add the rest of the vegetables and simmer 10 minutes longer.
• Add the broth, milk and curry paste.
• Simmer for 15 minutes.
• Add fish oil and cilantro to taste.

SPICY THAI CANNED PUMPKIN SOUP WITH COCONUT CREAM

Steps:

• Place curry paste in a stockpot over medium heat and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in chicken stock and pumpkin; cook until soup starts to bubble, about 3 minutes. Add cream of coconut; cook for 3 minutes. Add jalapeno pepper and Anaheim chile pepper; cook until hot, about 3 minutes. Season with salt.

THAI COCONUT SOUP WITH EGGPLANT

Steps:

• Mix water, coconut cream, and curry paste in a large saucepan. Add lime juice, fish sauce, brown sugar, and cayenne pepper; cook over medium-high heat until boiling, 5 to 10 minutes.
• Add eggplant to the saucepan; reduce heat and simmer for 2 minutes. Add tofu and mushrooms; simmer for 7 minutes. Sprinkle with green onions and serve.

OPRAH'S THAI CHICKEN COCONUT CURRY SOUP

Steps:

• In a large heavy-bottom pot over high heat, combine chicken stock, garlic, ginger, curry paste, coriander, cumin, peppercorns and cilantro.
• Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes.
• Strain broth over a bowl through a fine-mesh sieve; discard solids.
• Return broth to pot; add coconut milk, shallots, mushrooms and chicken.
• Return to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer and cook until chicken is cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes.
• In a small bowl, combine fish sauce, lime juice, brown sugar and jalapeño, if desired; stir until sugar is dissolved, then add mixture to soup.
• Garnish with tomato, coconut shavings and cilantro; serve hot.

THAI SEAFOOD COCONUT CURRY SOUP

Steps:

• Combine fish stock, lemongrass, ginger, 1/2 of the garlic, 2 tablespoons fish sauce, and black pepper in a large soup pot. Boil over medium-low heat for 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat sesame oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add onion and remaining garlic. Saute until onion is softened, about 3 minutes, taking care to not burn the garlic. Add green curry paste; saute for 1 minute. Add shrimp and mussels and saute until heated through, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Add seafood mixture to broth in the large pot. Simmer together for 10 minutes, then add coconut milk and sugar. Stir in lemon juice and cilantro. Taste and add more fish sauce if you desire.