Spicy Thai Coconut Soup

A bowl of creamy Thai coconut soup with chicken, tomato, red chili and cilantro, with a halved lime, lemongrass and lime leaves on a pantry shelf

Spicy Thai Coconut Soup

A rich coconut milk soup with chicken, mushrooms and tomatoes, simmered with lemongrass, galangal and lime leaves and warmed up with red jalapeño. Finished with fish sauce and lime, it's ready in about 35 minutes.

Course Soup

Keyword Jalapeno Pepper

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 20

Total Time 35

Servings servings

Calories 563kcal

Ingredients

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast or thighs sliced into thin, bite-size pieces
2 cans coconut milk 13.5 ounces each, full-fat
2 cups chicken broth
2 inch piece galangal or fresh ginger, thinly sliced
1 stalk lemongrass bottom half only, cut into 2-inch pieces and smashed
4 makrut (kaffir) lime leaves torn
2 red jalapeño peppers seeded and diced
3/4 cup oyster mushrooms torn into bite-size pieces
2 tomatoes cut into wedges
1/2 red onion sliced
2 tablespoons fish sauce plus more to taste
3 tablespoons lime juice about 1 1/2 limes
1 tablespoon sugar
3 tablespoons chopped cilantro
4 scallions thinly sliced

Instructions

In a large saucepan, combine the coconut milk, chicken broth, galangal, lemongrass and lime leaves. Bring it to a gentle simmer over medium heat, then keep it there for 10 minutes so the aromatics flavor the broth. Don't let it boil hard, or the coconut milk can separate.
Add the chicken, mushrooms, tomatoes, red onion and jalapeños. Simmer gently for 8 to 10 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through (165°F).
Take the pot off the heat and stir in the fish sauce, sugar and lime juice. Taste, and add more fish sauce for salt or more lime for sourness until it tastes balanced to you.
Pick out the lemongrass, galangal and lime leaves, which are too tough to eat. Serve topped with cilantro and scallions, on its own or over jasmine rice.

Notes

Heat: Red jalapeños run 2,500 to 8,000 Scoville heat units, so the soup sits on the milder side. For a lot more heat, use 3 or 4 Thai chilies (50,000 to 100,000 SHU) in their place. For an even heat all through the soup, stir in 2 teaspoons of sambal oelek instead of the jalapeños.

Galangal or ginger: Galangal is traditional and has a sharper, more piney taste. Fresh ginger works if you can't find it, and the soup will taste a little warmer and milder.

Make ahead: Keep leftovers in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. Reheat gently, without boiling, and add a squeeze of fresh lime before serving.

Nutrition