Description
Experience the comforting flavors of Thai Coconut Soup – Find tips for making this delicious recipe at home now! Try it today.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 cans (13.5 oz each) full-fat coconut milk
- 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- 3 stalks lemongrass, tough outer layers removed, bruised and cut into 4-inch pieces
- 6 thin slices galangal or ginger (about 1/4 cup)
- 6 kaffir lime leaves, torn (or 1 tablespoon lime zest)
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce (or soy sauce for vegetarian option)
- 2 tablespoons palm sugar or brown sugar
- 1–2 red Thai chilies, sliced (adjust to taste)
- 1 pound boneless chicken thighs, thinly sliced (or firm tofu for vegetarian option)
- 8 oz mushrooms, sliced (preferably shiitake or oyster)
- 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- 3 green onions, thinly sliced
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Step 1: Prepare the Aromatic Base In a large pot over medium heat, combine 1 cup of coconut milk with lemongrass, galangal (or ginger), and kaffir lime leaves. Bring to a gentle simmer, stirring occasionally, and let these aromatics infuse the coconut milk for about 5 minutes. This creates the fragrant foundation that makes Thai Coconut Soup so distinctive.
- Step 2: Build the Soup Add the chicken or vegetable broth and the remaining coconut milk to the pot. Bring the mixture back to a gentle simmer, being careful not to let it boil rapidly. Stir in the fish sauce and palm sugar until completely dissolved. Add the sliced chilies according to your spice preference—remember you can always add more later, but you can’t take it away!
- Step 3: Cook the Protein Once your broth is simmering, add your chicken slices (or tofu) and cook gently for about 5-7 minutes until the chicken is fully cooked through or the tofu is heated. The protein will absorb the aromatic flavors while cooking, enhancing the overall depth of your Thai Coconut Soup.
- Step 4: Add Vegetables Add the mushrooms and red bell pepper to the pot. Allow them to simmer for 2-3 minutes until slightly softened but still maintaining some texture. The vegetables should be tender-crisp, providing a pleasant contrast to the creamy broth.
- Step 5: Finish and Serve Remove the pot from heat and discard the lemongrass pieces, galangal slices, and lime leaves (they’ve done their job flavoring the broth). Stir in the fresh lime juice, tasting and adjusting with more fish sauce, sugar, or lime juice as needed. Ladle your Thai Coconut Soup into bowls and garnish generously with fresh cilantro and sliced green onions.
Notes
Fresh ingredients will always yield the best flavor results.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 300
- Sugar: 5g
- Sodium: 400mg
- Fat: 10g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 40g
- Fiber: 5g
- Protein: 15g
- Cholesterol: 50mg