Thai Coconut Chicken Soup

Published: January 7, 2019 • Modified: March 9, 2021 • by Author: Analida • Word count:1028 words. • About 6 minutes to read this article. • This post may contain affiliate links.

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Hey coconut!!! That was my son's favorite greeting when he was about 3 years old. We still tease him about it and he is 19! I, for one, love coconut anything, this is why this soup is one of my favorites. There is a little Thai restaurant in my town that makes this soup. I seriously think mine comes pretty close.

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Thai cuisine and coconut
Balancing flavors
Step by step photos
Frequently Asked Questions
Thai Coconut Chicken Soup Recipe

Thai cuisine and coconut

Coconut is the part of most Thai dishes. Thailand is a tropical country, so of course. Coconuts go back a long, long way. In ancient times in India, coconuts were one of the three food items that were considered sacred because the entire fruit could be used, even the fuzzy exterior which was used to weave a rough fabric called coir. It was also used to make rope. Coir is still used today to make outdoor mats. Yes, your welcome mat is made of coir. How about that?

Balancing flavors

Thai coconut soup with chicken makes use of a variety of ingredients that are typical in Thai cuisine such as lemongrass, fish sauce (yes, fish sauce) and lime. My daughter who travels to Thailand often tells me that Thai food is about establishing a balance with all the flavors, different from our western culinary concept of accentuating a specific flavor. The Asian food section of my grocery store just started carrying preserved lemongrass in a jar. This is really exciting. Before, I had to go to the Asian market or sometimes out of town. Lemongrass is a perennial and you only need a small amount. The flavor is strong. Lemongrass is also used in soaps, perfumes, and lotions.

Fish sauce (nam pla) is another ingredient in Thai coconut soup. Fish sauce? Yes, fish sauce. Not as weird as it sounds. It really adds a lot to the soup and no, your soup will not taste fishy. History flashback!!! Fish sauce is a close relative to garum, a fish paste of sorts that was all the rage during the Roman Empire. In fact the markets of the time did a brisk garum business.

Step by step photos

We will start with the cooking the chicken.

Gather all your for the thai soup recipe ingredients and have them ready: mushrooms, coconut milk, salt, fish sauce, Thai red curry paste, chicken, chopped lemongrass, minced ginger, cilantro and chicken broth.
Have your chicken breasts split width wise for fast cooking and easy shredding later. Add the chopped lemongrass.
Add the minced ginger.
Add the Thai red curry paste.
Evenly cover the chicken with the added ingredients.
Flip the chicken pieces over and when almost done add ⅓ cup water and simmer for 5 minutes. Set the chicken aside on a plate and save all the liquid to add to the soup later.

Now we will construct the soup in a soup pot and this is so easy!

Add the coconut milk and chicken broth. Leave on medium heat.
Add the salt.
Add the cilantro.
Add the mushrooms.
Add the fish sauce and simmer for 20 minutes on medium.
When the chicken has cooled, shred it into small pieces with 2 forks.
Add the shredded chicken to the soup pot and also the reserved liquid from cooking the chicken.
Simmer for a few minutes and serve. Enjoy!

Frequently Asked Questions

How long can I save Thai coconut chicken soup? You can store in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days in an airtight container.
Can I freeze this soup? No, since this soup contains coconut milk it is best not to freeze because it will separate and will not be the same when defrosted and have the same texture when thawed. While it is safe to eat it may be a bit grainy and split when thawed.

Thai coconut chicken soup is hearty enough to be main meal.
If you want to explore some other tasty Thai recipes here are a few to bookmark for later. Thai lettuce wraps a fun to make and eat and also a very low-carb dish. Thai beef salad is a great dish for the grilling season and it has a fantastic marinade and homemade peanut lime dressing. If you want a sweet dessert then you have to try Thai mango sticky rice that is rich, sweet and creamy with mango slices.

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