This Thai Chicken Soup with coconut milk, shredded chicken, and chunks of sweet potato comes together easily in under an hour. It’s lightly creamy and bursting with all kinds of fresh flavors. Add a little heat or a lot, it’s up to you!
Easy Thai Chicken Soup with Coconut Milk
Do you know what’s better than a steaming bowl of soup on a chilly day? A hot bowl of soup that has an additional kick of heat, that’s what! Like this easy, richly flavored Thai Chicken Soup that’s ready in under an hour.
This is a hearty soup loaded with tender chicken and sweet potatoes, bursting with all kinds of freshness. It’s quick to make and even quicker to slurp down on a cold winter’s day.
Easy Thai Chicken Soup with Coconut Milk
Do you know what’s better than a steaming bowl of soup on a chilly day? A hot bowl of soup that has an additional kick of heat, that’s what! Like this easy, richly flavored Thai Chicken Soup that’s ready in under an hour.
This is a hearty soup loaded with tender chicken and sweet potatoes, bursting with all kinds of freshness. It’s quick to make and even quicker to slurp down on a cold winter’s day.
- Rich and creamy. The soup gets its creaminess from delicious coconut milk, just enough to give a bit of lusciousness to the broth without feeling heavy.
- Adaptable. You can easily subdue (or even completely omit) the heat if it’s just not your thing. Or, spice it up even more if it is!
Looking for more cozy Asian-inspired soups? Try my easy beef pho and this coconut curry chicken soup. And if you love chicken soup recipes, this hearty chicken wild rice soup is another easy bowlful.
What You’ll Need
If you’re looking for a comforting bowlful to make this winter, look no further. This Thai chicken soup uses simple ingredients, but packs in loads of Southeast Asian-inspired flavor. Scroll down to the recipe card for a printable ingredients list with measurements.
- Olive oil – Or another cooking oil for browning the chicken.
- Chicken – I use boneless skinless chicken breasts for this Thai chicken soup.
- Salt and pepper
- Sweet potatoes – A little unexpected, but I think sweet potatoes are AWESOME in this recipe! You can replace sweet potatoes with regular white potatoes or baby potatoes if preferred.
- Vegetables – Green onions, red bell peppers, and snow peas give heartiness, flavor, and nutrition to the soup.
- Ginger and garlic
- Chicken broth – I prefer to use low-sodium broth.
- Red chili paste – My (easy) secret weapon for adding flavor depth to this soup is roasted red chili paste (affiliate link). It packs a sweet heat that I find irresistible. If you’re not fond of heat, simply use less or leave it out.
- Coconut milk – Our family loves anything I make with coconut milk. It’s creamy, comforting, and so yummy! It gives this soup a lightly creamy texture and wonderful flavor. I always prefer to use regular coconut milk, but use a light variety if you like – just know that it will be less creamy.
- Lime – I include both fresh lime juice and lime zest in this recipe – you’ll love the bright pop of freshness!
- Fresh herbs – I throw in fresh herbs whenever I possibly can. And I do not hold back with this soup, with fresh cilantro, basil, AND mint!
- Fresno peppers – Add a few slices of fresh Fresno or jalapeno pepper for additional heat if desired.
How to Make Thai Chicken Soup
For such a fresh and flavorful soup, this recipe comes together quite quickly, in under an hour. Scroll to the recipe card for printable instructions.
- Cook the chicken. Season the chicken with salt and pepper, and then saute in olive oil in a large Dutch oven for about 10 to 15 minutes. Remove the chicken to a plate.
- Cook the sweet potatoes. In the same pot, cook the sweet potato, green onions, bell pepper, and snow peas until the sweet potato is tender. Then, add the garlic and ginger.
- Make the broth. Add the broth to the pot and whisk in the red chili paste. Bring everything to a boil, then turn down the heat and let the soup simmer.
Tips and Variations
Here are some tips for the best Thai coconut chicken soup, as well as a few ways to switch it up.
- Can I use a different protein? Shrimp is the most common alternative to chicken for Thai coconut soup. Just add the uncooked (but thawed) shrimp to the soup when you’d add the cooked & shredded chicken, and cook the shrimp until pink and opaque.
- Can I make this vegetarian? Sure. Just omit the chicken and use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth. You may want to add extra sweet potatoes and other vegetables to maintain the heartiness.
- Use other vegetables. Swap sweet potatoes for regular potatoes. Use sugar snap peas instead of snow pea pods. Add carrots or mushrooms.
- Be sure to use coconut milk. Be sure you’re grabbing coconut milk, and not coconut lopez or coconut creamer. They’re very different products!
- Add cooked rice or rice noodles. Cook some rice or thin rice noodles separately. Then add cooked rice or noodles to individual bowls and ladle Thai chicken soup over the top!
Equipment to Prepare Thai Chicken Soup
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Thai Kitchen Gluten Free Roasted Red Chili Paste, 4 oz
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6.75 Qt Oval French Oven
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OXO Large Cutting Board
Ingredients For Thai Chicken Soup
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- 2 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 16 ounces boneless skinless chicken breasts
- kosher salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 2 cups peeled cubed sweet potato, 1/2″ in size
- 1.25 cups chopped green onions divided
- 1 cup chopped red bell pepper 1/4″ to 1/2″ in size
- 1 cup sliced snow pea pods cut into 1″ pieces
- 2 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger
- 3 large cloves garlic minced
- 32 ounces low sodium chicken broth
- 3 teaspoons roasted red chili paste
- 1 can 14-ounce coconut milk
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
- zest from 1 large lime
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
- fresh lime wedges
- thin slices of Fresno or jalapeno pepper optional for additional heat
Instructions
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In a Dutch oven over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Sprinkle chicken breasts fairly generously with salt and pepper and add to the heated oil. Saute, turning over after 5 minutes. Saute another 5 minutes on the second side. Chicken is done when it is just cooked through, with juices running clear. This should take 10 to 15 minutes. Remove chicken to a plate to rest.
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In the same pot over medium heat, add butter and remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Once warmed, add sweet potato, 1 cup of the green onions, red bell pepper, and snow peas. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes, or until sweet potato is just tender, stirring every few minutes. Stir in ginger and garlic, and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
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Add broth to pot and stir to combine. Remove about 1/4 cup of the liquid to a small bowl and whisk in the roasted red chili paste; add this to the pot. Stir to combine and then bring soup to a boil. Immediately reduce heat and let soup simmer gently for 10 minutes.
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With two forks, shred the cooked chicken into bite-sized pieces. Add shredded chicken and any accumulated chicken juices to the soup. Stir in coconut milk and cook until thoroughly heated. Add lime juice, lime zest, cilantro, basil, mint, and the remaining 1/4 cup of green onions. Taste test and add additional kosher salt if needed. Serve hot, with fresh lime wedges and slices of hot pepper.