Name: Easy Thai Chicken Curry Soup
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Thai
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons vegetable oil; 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, thinly sliced; 1 small onion, diced; 2 cloves garlic, minced; 1 tablespoon red curry paste; 1 can (14 oz) coconut milk; 3 cups chicken broth; 1 red bell pepper, sliced; 1 cup mushrooms, sliced; 2 teaspoons fish sauce; 1 teaspoon sugar; Juice of 1 lime; Fresh cilantro, chopped, for garnish

Okay, Let Me Tell You About This Thai Chicken Curry Soup…

You ever crave something cozy, a little spicy, but don’t want to end up with every pan in your kitchen dirty? Yeah, same here. This Easy Thai Chicken Curry Soup is the answer to that. I stumbled onto it after a week of ordering takeout (whoops) and realizing my wallet needed a break. The first time, I mixed up the curry paste and almost burned my nose off, but my family still ate the whole pot (with a side of tissues). Now it’s sort of my go-to when the weather’s bad or I just want restaurant flavor without leaving the house. Plus, it kind of feels like I’m winning at life when dinner takes less than thirty minutes. Win some, lose some, right?

Why You’ll Keep Coming Back To This (Like Me)

I swear, I make this when the fridge is just staring me down. The kids (and my partner, honestly) go nuts for the noodles and that warm, coconutty broth. Sometimes I toss in whatever veg I’ve got kicking around — maybe not textbook Thai, but it works. It’s really one of those meals where even if you mess up a step (been there) it still comes out tasty. Plus, it’s forgiving about spice, so you can feed kiddo with zero drama, or go wild if you’re feeling bold, proper nose-tingle and all. And if I’m feeling tired? One pot, less fuss. Or well, two, if I actually remember to cook noodles separately. Usually I forget.

So, Here’s What I Grab From the Cupboard (And Maybe My Neighbor)

2 tablespoons red Thai curry paste (sometimes the green kind when I’m out — my neighbor claims yellow is best, but I honestly can’t taste much difference)
400ml coconut milk (the full-fat stuff if I’m feeling indulgent; light coconut milk in a pinch)
2 boneless chicken breasts, sliced thin or diced (I sometimes use rotisserie chicken if I’m being lazy — actually, saves time!)
3 cups chicken stock (homemade is great, but boxed totally fine, even chicken bouillon cubes when I’m desperate)
2 handfuls of mushrooms, sliced (any kind; button or shiitake, or honestly, skip them if you hate ‘shrooms)
2 carrots, thinly sliced
A couple handfuls rice noodles (or egg noodles, or any long noodle you love — I’ve even used spaghetti, shhh…)
1 tablespoon fish sauce (optional, but it does give that funky magic — soy sauce works if you can’t do fish)
1-2 teaspoons brown sugar (my grandma used palm sugar; I can never find it, so whatever’s on hand works)
Juice of one lime (lemons in a pinch, it’s fine)
Salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
Fresh cilantro or basil, chopped (or both, or… nothing if the kids rebel)
Red chili, sliced, for serving (only for spice lovers, obviously)

Alright, Here’s How I Actually Throw It Together

Stick a big pot on the stove over medium heat. Plop in the curry paste, and give it a stir for like 45 seconds until it smells awesome (or until you start sneezing, which is… character-building?)
Pour in about half the coconut milk. Stir ‘til it’s all smooth and a bit orange looking. If it looks weird at this stage — don’t panic, mine always does!
Chuck in the chicken pieces. Stir to coat in that spicy coconut business. Cook about 3 minutes — it barely has to change color, you’re not finishing it here.
Splash in your chicken stock, the rest of the coconut milk, fish sauce, and brown sugar. Stir, bring to a simmer. Add the mushrooms and carrots (or whatever veg you managed to scrounge up).
Let it gently bubble for about 8-10 minutes. This is when I usually sniff and think, should I add more curry paste? Sometimes. Sometimes not.
Meanwhile, cook your noodles according to the package directions; drain, set aside (if you forget about them like me and they get sticky, just rinse with a bit of hot water).
Taste! If you want, more salt, another squeeze of lime, whatever. This is where I sneak a slurp — chef’s treat.
Drop some noodles in each bowl, ladle over hot soup, and pile on your garnishes (cilantro, basil, chili slices). If you’re fancy, lime wedges on the side; if you’re me, just dig in already.

Stuff I Figured Out (Mostly the Hard Way)

If you simmer it forever, the chicken does get a bit tough. Like, rubber band tough.
I once tossed in broccoli — tasted great but went weirdly grey. Edible, but not pretty. Stick to carrots, mushrooms, or maybe red bell peppers?
No fish sauce? Double the lime and soy sauce. Not the same, but close enough for a Monday.

Fun Ways to Mix it Up (and What NOT to Do)

Try adding a swirl of peanut butter — sounds odd, but actually amazing… unless you overdo it, then it’s a peanut soup. Not what you want.
I sometimes use tofu instead of chicken when I’ve got veggie friends coming. Freeze and thaw the tofu first for better texture – top tip from a mate.
One time I tried it with quinoa instead of noodles (noodles had disappeared, my fault) — erm… just don’t. Didn’t love that at all.

Do You Need Fancy Gear? Eh…

Honestly, all you need is a large-ish pot — or a deep pan honestly, if that’s what you’ve got. A wooden spoon helps but, I’ve used a pasta fork and it mostly worked… It’s not the snazziest way, but it’ll get the job done. Oh, and a colander if you don’t like fishing noodles out with a fork, but who’s judging?

Leftovers? Well… Maybe, If You’re Lucky

Technically, you can store leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge for up to two days. But, honestly — in my house, it never lasts more than one night. If it does, weirdly, I think it tastes better the next day when the flavors have time to get comfortable together (if there’s soup left, anyway). For freezing, the noodles do go mushy, so keep them separate and just freeze the broth part.

How I Like to Serve It (And The Family Drama)

We usually do ours up in big bowls with a messy pile of cilantro, plus extra lime wedges. Sometimes a few prawn crackers if I’ve remembered to buy them — totally not authentic, but everyone loves those crunchy bits.

If I Could Go Back in Time… (Pro Tips I Wish I Knew)

I once tried to rush toasting the curry paste — burnt it, needless to say, and my kitchen smelt like a science experiment gone sideways. So don’t walk away! Let the paste get fragrant but not scorched. And, actually, if you add the lime at the very end rather than with the broth, you get brighter zing. Didn’t know that until recently. Live and learn.

Let’s Answer Some Actual Questions While I’m At It

Can I use leftover roast chicken?
Totally — just chuck it in near the end so it warms up but doesn’t go all stringy. Saves time too, which I love.

Is this super spicy?
You control the heat! The curry paste is the main thing — use less for mild. Add extra chili if you’re feeling wild.

What noodles work best?
Honestly, most long noodles are fine. Rice noodles are classic, but I’ve done spaghetti and no one complained (well, my purist friend made a face).

Can I double it?
Yep! Just use a big enough pot. But beware, everything might take a smidge longer to cook through.

No coconut milk? What now?
I mean, you could try regular cream. Not quite the same, but better than no soup at all.

Kids okay with this?
If you keep it mild, even my fussy youngest asks for seconds. Although, picking out every last leaf of basil does get a bit old.

By the way, unrelated, but did you ever try growing coriander form seed? I don’t recommend it. Just buy the bunch, trust me.

Easy Thai Chicken Curry Soup Recipe for Quick Comfort