Chicken Coconut Curry Soup

This Chicken Curry Soup couldn't be easier to make and has the most delicious red curry coconut broth. Make it with all your favorite veggies for an easy, satisfying meal.  We also love this shrimp version.

One of my favorite things (hint, hint) is when readers reach out and ask for a healthier version of one of their favorite recipes, which is exactly what happened last week.

A reader wanted a lightened-up version of her favorite red curry from a local Thai restaurant, a craving I fully understand. Sometimes I think I could bathe in the red curry from my favorite Thai restaurant. Well…okay, that may hurt, so maybe not bathe in it. The point is, I love every little thing about curry — from the color to the smell to the taste to the warm feeling I get as I swallow every bite and it fills me with such comfort...you get the idea.

So I experimented a bit until I came up with a lighter version of Chicken Coconut Curry Soup that tastes every bit as good as the full-fat and -calorie version. This recipe comes together in under 15 minutes and is perfect for a quick weeknight meal.

The best part is, you can adjust the spices to suit your tastes, throw in whatever veggies you have on hand, and serve as a soup or over noodles or rice. It really is that easy!

What ingredients do I need for Chicken Coconut Curry Soup?

You don't need a whole lot of ingredients! You can find most of these in the international foods aisle of any major grocery chain.

• Red curry paste
• Canned lite coconut milk
• Low sodium chicken broth
• Low sodium soy sauce (or fish sauce to taste)
• Asian vegetable mix (cabbage, broccoli, snap peas, etc.)
• Boneless skinless chicken breast
• Lime juice

How do you make Chicken Curry Soup?

You can pull this delicious soup together in 30 minutes or less!

The first thing you want to do is heat up a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Next, add the curry paste and a quarter cup of the coconut milk. Whisk these two ingredients together until the curry paste dissolves completely. Then, add the remaining coconut milk, the chicken stock, and the soy or fish sauce. Add the vegetables and chicken breast to the curry mixture. Bring all of this to a boil, then turn down the heat to let it all simmer and come together for another 8-10 minutes.

At this point, you'll remove the pot from the heat and add in the lime juice. Taste and add more lime juice, fish sauce (or soy sauce), and salt if needed.

I like to serve this dish with a garnish of green onions, cilantro, and sliced jalapenos.

What is curry soup made of?

In general, curry soup is made from a curry paste that you can find in a jar at the grocery store, and some sort of broth (like chicken broth) and then some coconut milk to add that coconut taste and bring out the curry flavor. Curry is very aromatic and contains a mixture of spices like red bell peppers and red chilis, green onions, shallots, garlic, ginger, turmeric, cumin, salt, pepper, and coriander, to name a few.

What vegetables can I use in this soup?

You know what vegetables go with Chicken Coconut Curry Soup? Any veggies you like! No, really!

I suggest using an Asian vegetable mix (fresh or frozen) because it's so simple to throw into the curry. All the veggies are already cut and portioned. Easy, peasy.

Other favorite vegetable suggestions include:

• Zucchini
• Yellow squash
• Eggplant
• Mushrooms (any variety)
• Green beans
• Lima beans
• Edamame
• Mini corn or regular corn
• Water chestnuts
• Broccoli
• Cauliflower
• Spinach
• Kale
• Carrots
• Any color of bell peppers

Serving Ideas and Suggestions

I like to serve this soup over white, brown, or cauliflower rice. But I've also been known to serve it over veggie noodles, in a spaghetti squash boat, and over regular, wide egg noodles.

You can eat it as a soup without any grains in it as well. Or eat the soup with a nice piece of baguette or croutons.

I also have used those packaged ramen noodles (flavor packet discarded) to add a little bit of fun to the pasta that's in the soup. Plus, those noodles are so good, it's hard to stay away from those crinkly, chewy pasta noodles.

So there you have it. Anyone else out there have a recipe they'd like lightened up? I'm happy to help! Shoot an email my way or leave a note in the comments.

Looking for more curry recipes?

• Slow Cooker Curry Chickpeas
• Slow Cooker Curry Chicken and Vegetables
• Thai Red Coconut Curry with Chicken
• Thai Green Curry Chicken