This coconut curry chicken soup is so satisfying and absolutely delicious. It’s fragrant, creamy and full of vegetables, the best warming antidote to brighten your day.
I can’t believe it's the end of January already?! It’s definitely still soup season for me as it's very cold here, but to be fair I'm always cold. Anything that's warming and full of flavour is a win at this time of year and this coconut curry chicken soup certainly ticks those boxes! This is our version of a curry soup that we sometimes buy in for ease - I thought it’d be fun to recreate it. This coconut curry chicken soup is the perfect light meal to fill you up and is packed with lots of nutritionally dense goodness.
I've got some lovely creamy smooth soups which are very popular but I thought I’d add to my chunky soup collection. Check these beautiful soups out if you are still, like me, loving soup right now. Don't forget these sourdough crackers for a crunchy topping! Or if you are after those curry feels check out our Roasted Butternut Squash Curry with Chickpeas.
I know you’ll love this coconut chicken curry soup as much as we do, be sure to leave us a comment and a rating as it means so much to us seeing you make our recipes. Click the links below to get to where you want.
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Ingredients
Often ingredient lists can be intimidating. There seems to be a lot here, but it is mostly spices. I’ve given some suggestions of sources for these ingredients but the majority if not all are available in most supermarkets. As always, I've done my best to make this as approachable as possible.
Vegetables - you’ll need an onion, red bell pepper and some butternut squash for the base of the soup and you’ll also need fine green beans to finish off the soup.
Aromatics - for a delicious fragrant base to this coconut curry chicken soup you’ll need: fresh garlic, fresh ginger, lemongrass and a red chilli (like a serrano pepper). You’ll extract lots of flavour out of these! Lemongrass can be easily bought at supermarkets, but you may also be able to find lemongrass paste.
Spices - you’ll need a selection of spices, each of which help to make this soup super flavourful. You’ll need: ground cumin, ground coriander, ground turmeric, onion powder, chilli flakes(red pepper flakes), ground fenugreek (optional if you can’t find it), kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. AND breathe... This spice blend is so tasty, it's unreal!
Lentils - part of the creaminess of the soup comes from red lentils breaking down, along with blending half the soup. They also gives the soup more protein and fibre which makes it super satisfying.
Chicken stock - I use a chicken stock that I make with “gel cubes” - just be sure to check for your stock’s salt content and adjust the salt if necessary. I’d say that it’s effectively a low sodium stock that I use due to the dilution in the soup.
Chicken - you can’t have chicken soup without chicken! I love using some free range skinless and boneless chicken thighs, trimmed of any excess fat.
Creaminess - the second level of creaminess for this soup comes from coconut cream. See the tips below for alternatives. Our vegetable orzo soup is a great example of this.
Balancing flavour - to let all the flavours above sing you need balance, this is true of every good recipe. So you’ll need fresh lemon juice and a touch of honey. Oh and don’t forget some finely chopped coriander/cilantro to add that citrusy freshness at the end!
Customisations, tips & tricks
Here are some customisations for those who like mixing it up:
Squash - you can use any squash you prefer, I wouldn’t recommend a spaghetti squash though. You can also substitute the squash with potato - use a waxy variety as a fluffy variety will just break down to nothing in cooking.
Beans - At the end of the recipe you will add fine beans into the soup, however for ease and depending on seasonality and availability of ingredients you could easily switch the beans out for frozen peas or any variety of bean you like.
Creaminess - If you are unable to get hold of coconut cream on it’s own, you can substitute it for a can of coconut milk instead. You will need to reduce the amount of chicken stock added in though otherwise the soup will be a lot thinner than expected. Another option would be to add some milk instead.
How to make it
Follow these simple steps to create this creamy coconut curry chicken soup:
- Begin by heating a large pan over a medium heat, add the olive oil and the diced onion, butternut squash and red bell pepper. Sauté for 5-7 minutes until the onion is translucent.
- Add in the grated garlic, grated ginger, finely chopped lemongrass or paste and red chilli. Give it a stir and sauté for another 2-3 minutes to release their fragrance. If the mix starts to stick to the bottom just add a splash of water.
- Add the spices into the vegetable mix and stir to coat them. Cook out the spices to temper them for 60 seconds. Add the red lentils and toast them off for 1-2 minutes.
- Pour the chicken stock into the spiced vegetable mix and bring to the boil.
- Add the whole chicken thighs to the stock and reduce the heat to a simmer. Simmer for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, remove the chicken thighs from the soup and dice into ½ inch chunks. Set aside.
- Remove ½ of the soup (including the bits) into a blender and blend until completely smooth. Pour the blended soup back into the chunky side of the soup.
- Add in the diced chicken thigh, fine beans and coconut cream, return to a simmer and cook gently for 5 minutes until the beans are tender.
- Stir in the honey and lemon juice and freshly chopped coriander just before serving up with some warm naan.
FAQs
This creamy coconut curry chicken soup will last stored in an air tight container for 3-4 days in the fridge. If you wish to store it for longer you will need to freeze it.
Absolutely, just store in an air tight container or a resealable freezer bag and place in the freezer for up to 3 months. Just be sure to write on the container when you made it and when it needs to be used by. After 3 months, the soup will be fine, but the quality will start to deteriorate.
Yes, absolutely, just be sure to cool the soup down as quickly as possible and when you want to eat, reheat it thoroughly.
More tasty & healthy recipes
I hope you love this delicious and creamy coconut curry chicken soup! If you make it, be sure to leave a comment, rate the recipe and tag me on Instagram! I love seeing your creations!
Creamy Coconut Curry Chicken Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons vegetable or olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced (1 cup)
- 1 red pepper, finely diced (1 cup)
- 1 ½ cups butternut squash, ¼ inch dice (200g)
- 3 cloves garlic, finely grated or minced
- 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger, about 2 inch chunk
- 1 tablespoon finely diced lemongrass
- 1 red chilli (serrano), finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ¼ teaspoon ground fenugreek
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ cup dried red lentils, 50g
- 5 cups chicken stock, 1.25L
- ¾ pound skinless and boneless chicken thighs
- 4 ounces green beans, chopped into ½ inch pieces (1 cup)
- ¼ cup coconut cream
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon honey
- ¼ cup fresh chopped coriander/cilantro
Instructions
- Heat a large pan or dutch oven over a medium high heat, once hot add the oil followed by the diced onion, diced butternut squash and red pepper and sauté for 5-7 minutes until the onion is translucent.2 tablespoons vegetable or olive oil, 1 medium yellow onion, 1 red pepper, 1 ½ cups butternut squash
- Add the ginger and garlic paste along with the chopped lemongrass and red chilli and cook for another 1-2 minutes. Add a splash of water if necessary.3 cloves garlic, 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger, 1 tablespoon finely diced lemongrass, 1 red chilli (serrano)
- Add the spices into the vegetables and stir to coat them, cook for about 60 seconds. Add the red lentils and toast them off for 1-2 minutes.1 red chilli (serrano), 2 teaspoons ground cumin, 1 teaspoon ground coriander, ½ teaspoon ground turmeric, ½ teaspoon onion powder, ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes, ¼ teaspoon ground fenugreek, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, ¼ cup dried red lentils, ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- Pour in the chicken stock and bring to the boil.5 cups chicken stock
- Add the whole chicken thighs and reduce heat to a simmer for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, remove the chicken thighs from the soup and set aside on a chopping board. Chop into ½ inch dice.¾ pound skinless and boneless chicken thighs
- Place half of the soup into a blender along with the coconut cream, lemon juice and honey. Blend until smooth. Add the smooth blended soup back to the main soup pot along with the chicken and beans. Simmer for 5 minutes until the beans are tender.4 ounces green beans, ¼ cup coconut cream, 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, 1 teaspoon honey
- Stir through the finely chopped coriander/cilantro leaves just before serving with some warm naan.¼ cup fresh chopped coriander/cilantro
Wendy says
Your instructions were very clear thank you! It was delicious!