Coconut milk tames the heat and combines deliciously with shredded chicken breast in Spicy Thai Coconut Chicken Soup.

Spicy Thai Coconut Chicken Soup

canola oil

mushrooms

red bell pepper

ginger

garlic cloves,

lemongrass,

sambal oelek (ground fresh chile paste)

Chicken Stock chicken broth

coconut milk

fish sauce

sugar

chicken breast (about 8 ounces)

onion

cilantro

lime juice

Heat a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add mushrooms and the next 4 ingredients (through lemongrass); cook 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add chile paste; cook 1 minute. Add Chicken Stock, coconut milk, fish sauce, and sugar; bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low; simmer for 10 minutes. Add chicken to pan; cook 1 minute or until thoroughly heated. Discard lemongrass. Top with onions, cilantro, and juice.


Love this soup! I’ve made it several times and don’t feel the need to veer from the recipe as written. I double the recipe so we have more leftovers though. It’s become a staple for us and is easily prepared on a weeknight. The prep is simple but I do find grating the ginger  to be my least favorite part! I thought about getting prepared ginger paste but the fresh ginger can’t be beat.

I made some minor changes because I don't like buying a container of something, using half of it and then throwing the rest away when I don't use it.  So I used an 8 oz pkg of mushrooms (probably twice as many as called for), an entire red pepper instead of 1/2 cup, an entire bunch of green onions chopped, a whole can of light coconut milk and one can of chicken broth since others suggested using less than three cups.  I like spicy food so I used two tablespoons of sambal oelek instead of two teaspoons and it was delightfully spicy. At first I thought it was too spicy but it seemed to mellow.  So with the above disclaimer about how I didn't make the recipe exactly as written, I will say this soup was superb.  I will be making it regularly from now on - so quick and easy (I used rotisserie chicken breast).

l make a lot of Thai dishes, and this was the most flavourful of any lve ever made (over 40 yrs !)  l followed the recipe, but reduced the stock + coconut milk as l wanted it to be a Thai curry (rather than this soup recipe).  lts my number 1 Thai Curry recipe. Thank you, and greetings from warm sunny Costa Blanca !

I followed the recipe exactly as written and usually do that the first time. Used shredded rotisserie chicken instead of cooking it. That helped with the time. I didn’t think it was spicy enough so took the jar of sambal oelek  and was trying to tap some in from the jar. A huge dollop dropped in which made it too spicy. Had to add a little more sugar to even out the spice. We loved this soup. Served it over leftover jasmine rice. 

I made this tonight and my wife and I loved it. I make a lot of Thai food and soup and this was right up there as one of the best soups. There was one thing I did differently. I seared the chicken in a wok first, in order to get the Maillard Effect, and cooked it to about 75%, and then put it in the soup with the shrimp and had it simmer in it. The different textures and tastes were amazing. Thanks for the recipe!

We love the flavors of Thai food &amp; this did not disappoint.  Used chicken broth, and decreased the ginger and sugar to suit our tastes.  Doubled the mushrooms (used button mushrooms, but shiitake or straw mushrooms could be delightful).  I used heaping teaspoons of samal oelek, and it had just the right amount of spicy heat for us.  I also used very mild jalapenos out of our garden instead of red bell pepper.

Followed all the steps in order and was so pleased with how this turned out. Omitted lemongrass, substituted sea salt for fish sauce, brown sugar for white sugar, and fresh basil for cilantro. Also added a dash of curry. Served with fresh basil, lime juice and srirachi. It was delicious. Will definitely make this again.

This is really good! I had to do things just a little different though because of what I had on hand (too horrible of a day to go to the store!). I used frozen lemongrass, and powdered ginger (blasphemous, I know!!!). Also, instead of chili paste, I used red curry paste. I also used pork tenderloin instead, boiled it until tender, cut it up and then used the broth water for a broth instead of chicken broth. I also used an entire can of coconut milk (I hate having leftovers from cans!). I then served it over a bed or rice vermicelli noodles. Yummy!!!!

Had a really good taste. I added more chili paste and did, as other reviews said, put 2 cups of chicken broth instead of 3. It was delicious and would make it again.

Subtle flavors. Substituted shrimp (might be a little plain with chicken). Used 2 cans broth and the whole can of lite coconut milk. Was a bit thin but still tasty. Served over brown rice.

Typo...gone not fine...sorry my phone corrects itself and sub's whatever it sees fit.lol

So this doesn't look anything like the picture so don't concentrate on it too much. I think I added too much chicken because it was more of a stew than a soup. Taste was great though. I did add extra chili paste because it wasn't spicy enough. Next time I'll decrease the chicken stock as suggested.

Added a little over a cup of fresh broccoli in the last simmer.  Good, quick, weeknight meal.

Hubby and I loved it, daughters 6 and 9 liked it too.  I used a picked roasted chicken but otherwise followed as written.  We enjoyed the leftovers both as soup and like a curry, served over rice.  It's a definite keeper.

My husband and I absolutely loved this soup! The taste is unbelievable and addicting. I am making another batch the next day after making the first.

Great fresh flavors, made exactly as written except a little extra chicken because the breast was so large (11 oz) and to make it a meal. It was not at all spicy--not sure if my red chile paste was not very spicy, but next time I will add way more or search out some better chile paste.

This was really good, with a few tweaks.  I added some noodles to make it heartier, and added extra fish sauce and cilantro before serving to give it a little extra pop.  I also reduced the light coconut milk by about 1/3 before adding the other ingredients, to concentrate the flavor and reduce the wateriness, and I added only about 2 cups of broth since a lot of reviewers thought it was too brothy.

This was really good and very easy to prepare.  My wife and I both loved this.

This was a hit, plain and simple. Great use of rotisserie chicken. I will definitely make this again.

Love this recipe! Added pho noodles, which tends to sop up a lot of the liquid, so I added a little extra stock and coconut milk.

Loved this soup so much last week, I am making it again today (before my leftover lemongrass goes bad)!  My BF was very excited because he loves this type of soup, but has a mild fish allergy and can not usually eat the restaurant version.  We replaced the fish sauce with Ponzu sauce (think soy sauce plus lime), and it was great!  He requested more lemongrass this batch, but I thought it was perfect with the original recipe.  Also great as leftovers.  We used "Caribbean Lime" rotisserie chicken from the store.

Pretty good, even though I left out the garlic, lemongrass, cilantro, and lime juice.  VERY spicy, even though I only used half the chile paste.

Made this and the husband loved it. Only changes I made were reducing the amount of chicken stock from 3 cups to 2, and I added 3 kaffir lime leaves for a more authentic Thai flavor...they are a must in any Thai curry. Other than that, it was fantastic. Will make again.

Yum! This is VERY similar to CL's Coconut Red Curry Hot Pot with Braised Chicken and Mushrooms (October 2010), which calls for red curry paste instead of sambal oelek and also has some rice noodles thrown in. We prefer that recipe to this one, simply because the ratio of broth to coconut milk is more even (so you can actually taste the coconut!). This recipe is super tasty, too, but I'd definitely try the other if you're looking for an obvious coconut flavor. It's subtle here. This recipe wins in terms of prep time, though - really fast and easy!

This was so fantastic.  I followed the recipe pretty closely and couldn't think of a single thing I would change.  Preparation was a little time consuming, but well worth it once the family tasted it!

I have made this four times already.  It is really delicious and quick to make.  If you are not watching calories, regular coconut milk makes this taste so, so good.

Great, wouldn't change a thing.  Very spicy.

it was fabulous. i wondered if anyone else noticed that the picture for the recipe looked like it had curry in it? with or without curry, i loved it. i will add more chile paste next time. we had it with sticky rice and cucumber.

Excellent soup!  I used 1 tbsp of lime juice and I thought it was plenty.  Served with Thai Shrimp and Tofu with Asparagus.  Will make again.

This is our new favorite soup recipe.  It gets rave reviews everytime.  We make it just as the recipe says, though sometimes we make a brown rice and put it in the bottom of the bowl when we serve.  Delicious!!!!

This soup is very good! I used a little less fish sauce than the recipe called for (I was afraid my boyfriend wouldn't eat it if it smelled too much like fish sauce) and I didn't use lemongrass because my grocery was out of it, and it was still great! I also added a little cooked white rice to it, to bulk it up. I love how it has got a little kick and unique flavors. I'm a huge fan of soup in the winter and come February I'm looking for something new to switch up the usual chicken noodle and chili. This hit the spot! Definitely keeping this one around.

Delicious filling soup. I did just a little of the Sambal Oelek, because I don't like too spicy.  I definitely will make this soup again.

This soup is awesome!  I didn't want to waste what remained of the can coconut milk, so I dumped the remainder in soup pot.  I think that made it even better!

This recipe was really quite delicious.  I followed other reviewers suggestions and I think it was perfect.  I only used 1 T of fish sauce.  I'm not a fan of hot/spicy but I think it needed some chili to balance the flavors.  I used 1-2 t. of garlic chili pepper sauce instead of the sambal oelek because I was afraid of it.  The broth was rather thin so I added 1 bunch of cooked somen noodles and put a big handful of fresh baby spinach in the bowl before pouring in the soup.  The color was nice.  I would probably add more mushrooms and red peppers next time.  The toppings at the end really bring it together, don't skimp!

I am literally eating this right now, and it is so good that I felt compelled to leave a review of it. I didn't have Sambal Olek (couldn't find it in 2 grocery stores), so I used red curry paste and one tsp. of ground red pepper instead. For the chicken, I boiled the chicken breasts in no salt added chicken broth with some black pepper and garlic. I will definitely make this again. Don't skip the toppings at the end, it really brought everything together.

I made this for dinner tonight and it was awesome. I added more Sambal and some red curry paste. It also needs a pinch or two of salt. That could be why some thought it lacked flavor. Always season your food! :) I would definitely make this again!

Just love this. Noodles are great but they nearly double the calories -- I put a handful of baby spinach in the bottom of the bowl before I add the soup. Pretty and delish!!!

This soup is simple to prepare.  It uses leftover chicken (I used a store bought Rotisserie) and it is inexpensive.  The third time I prepared this recipe, I was out of chicken stock and used vegetable stock instead.  Still outstanding!

I love this soup and so do the family members that I shared it with.    I added Udon noodles and it was even better.  Very easy!

Soup was easy to make, but a bit lacking on flavor. It also needs noodles to fill up the loose broth. Next time I will increase some of the spices/ingredients to make it a richer flavor and reduce the number of scallions per serving.

Really good. Better than some restaurants.

The combination of flavors in this soup recipe are terrific.  We thought the soup was too broth-y.  Next time will try it with rice noodles, as one reviewer suggested.

Was just ok - followed recipe precisely; was not very spicy and broth was watery.  It was easy though, and relatively quick.  Mushrooms were nice addition.

This is delicious. If other reviewers feel it lacks oomph, I think it's the chicken broth. I use penzys paste with water and it gives it depth. Also gives a bit more sodium but if you're aware of that, it's worth it for the flavor. So easy and wonderfully satisfying. Used rotisserie for convenience.

Nice, not what you get at the Thai restaurant but for a light, easy to make-at-home recipe its pretty tasty! For my pregnant palate I would have cut back on the sambal to 1 tsp and I also added some rice noodles/glass noodles to make it a more substantial meal. Since I found lemongrass and am freezing remainder I will probably make again.

Well...it is not Tom Ka Gai.  It is a good start for a lighter Thai soup though.  Like another reviewer mentioned, this is a huge fave at Thai restaurants and I was looking forward to seeing if it really could be a lighter version.  It isn't really.  Some of the elements are there but it was lacking the flavor power behind the creaminess of the coconut milk.  Maybe more chili paste, kaffir lime leaves...  I am going to look at the regular version and see if I can't amp it up a bit but keep the lighter milk.  Am also going to see if the leftovers are better.  If you have not had this soup at a restaurant, you should try the recipe here if you like the elements.  Served with an Asian slaw and potstickers.  That was a good combo for a nice size dinner.

Great flavor.  Will make this again. We got 3 servings filling 3/4 of each bowl out this batch (not 4 srvgs); it was a meager dinner--drank some water to get full. A simple salad on the side would of helped. Next time I will double the recipe as it was a lot of cutting/chopping and leftovers would have been nice and a full bowl of soup. Will reduce fish sauce from 4 tsp to 3 tsp next time.

My husband and I loved this soup.  The flavor was so good, that a week later we made it again with a few tweaks.  The second time, I made it into more of a curry.  I added 2 tsp. red curry paste, a bit of wondra for thickening, and only added 1/2 to 1 cup of chicken stock.  Also, instead of chicken, I added uncooked shrimp once the sauce was to the thickness I wanted.  It was fantastic.  We'll make it for some of our friends.

We loved this soup. I had no lemon grass and had to cut back the spicy sambal oelek for the sake of my sensitive stomach. The flavor was fantastic! We can't wait to eat the leftovers for lunch tomorrow.  I echo the person who said the broth was so good she wanted to lick the bowl. haha.
In this case I knew we'd both be extra hungry and I didn't have as much chicken as the recipe called for, I added a little tofu and some extra veggies and some cooked brown rice to make the meal a little bulkier.

 This was ridiculously good!  Also found this recipe for cooking the chicken breasts (delicious, but not as light as the rest of the recipe) - http://www.thekitchn.com/super-kitchen-m-36891 

This soup was fabulous, I didn't use fish sauce, only because I didn't have any.  I couldn't find fresh lemon grass but found it in a tube, so I used 1T of that.  We also added some noodle.  The family loved it, we will definately make this again.

Made this last night and it is AMAZING!!!! The broth is to die for I all but licked my bowl clean. Even with the mushrooms it was wonderful.......AND I am NOT a mushroom fan at all. I did cut the red bell pepper into smaller pieces neither one of us are fond of huge chunks of bell pepper.

Rarely, and I mean it may never have even happened yet, do I give 3 stars but this recipe just wasn't quite there for me.  One of my VERY favorite things to order at a Thai restaurant and I was really excited to make it at home.  I think my problem was the fish sauce....next time I might try a little less. Probably more of a mental thing as I'm sure the restaurant version has this ingredient, but it's a bit different adding it myself. Don't let my review discourage you...it was still good, I just might tweak it a bit the next time :)

My husband said it was "restaurant quality".

Good flavors in this soup.  I made a double batch.  I wanted it to be a little creamier - probably the light coconut milk.  A bit of a process to do on a work night, unless you buy a cooked chicken at the market.  But a wonderful weekend soup.  Served with a tossed green salad.  Thanks Cooking Light!

Made this tonight and it was fantastic.  Followed the recepie except for the lemongrass stalk, I used the minced type you get in a tube at the market ( I used 1 tsp).  My husband loved it as well and thought it was very hearty.  A great light dinner on a day when you might have otherwise overindulged.

This soup has a wonderful balance of fresh flavors. I made it for the first time last night and followed the recipe exactly as written, except I put in more chicken. (I used about 3 cups of shredded rotisserie chicken breast.) My husband declared this dish an A+ and requested it again tonight for our New Year's Eve dinner. We just enjoyed our second night in a row of this soup for dinner and we all loved it again. Definitely as good, if not better, than anything you'll get in a restaurant!

This had a wonderful flavor and just the right amount of kick.  I did use twice the amount of lemongrass.  I used a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store to make this very quickly and easily.  Baby bella mushrooms tasted great... and I don't like mushrooms.

Soup is very flavorful and quick to make.  I used chicken tenders to quickly cook and shred. This will be a go to recipe that's tasty!

Coconut milk tames the heat and combines deliciously with shredded chicken breast in Spicy Thai Coconut Chicken Soup.


spicy thai coconut chicken soup

Total: 32 minutes

Servings: 2.5

Cost: $15.48 /serving

Author : David Bonom

Ingredients

Instructions

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