Thai-inspired coconut chicken soup

Method 1

Ingredients

1 tbsp vegetable or other flavourless oil

2 banana shallots

finely chopped

1 lemongrass stalk

bashed

2 garlic cloves

crushed

5g galangal

peeled and sliced, or 2 tsp galangal paste

1-2 Thai chillies

(or to taste, depending how spicy you like it), finely sliced

10g coriander

leaves picked and stalks finely chopped

1 tbsp Thai red curry paste

400ml can coconut milk

400ml chicken stock

2 chicken breasts

cut into bite-size pieces

2 lime leaves

(fresh or dried)

300g white mushrooms

sliced

1½ tbsp fish sauce

2 tsp golden caster sugar

1 lime

juiced

step 1

Heat the oil in a large, deep saucepan over a medium-high heat and cook the shallots, lemongrass, garlic, galangal, chillies, coriander stalks and curry paste for 1-2 mins, stirring often until the mixture is fragrant. Pour in the coconut milk and stock, and stir well to release any browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Simmer for 10-15 mins.

step 2

Mix in the chicken pieces and lime leaves. Bring to a gentle bubble and cook for 10 mins more until the chicken is cooked through, adding the mushrooms for the final 5 mins. Stir in the fish sauce and sugar, then add lime juice to taste. Add a splash more fish sauce or sugar, if needed. Remove the lemongrass and galangal slices, then serve with the coriander leaves sprinkled over.

Method 2

🥥 Ingredients

Main:

2 cups cooked or raw chicken (shredded or sliced)

1 can (400 ml) coconut milk

2 cups chicken broth

1–2 stalks lemongrass (cut into chunks, lightly crushed)

3–4 slices fresh ginger or galangal (if available)

2–3 kaffir lime leaves (optional but authentic)

200 g mushrooms (button or shiitake), sliced

Flavoring:

2–3 tbsp fish sauce

1–2 tbsp lime juice (fresh is best)

1–2 tsp sugar (palm sugar if available)

1–2 Thai chilies (smashed) or chili paste to taste

Optional add-ins:

Cherry tomatoes

Baby spinach

Rice noodles

To garnish:

Fresh coriander (cilantro)

Extra lime wedges

🍲 Instructions

Build the base

In a pot, bring the chicken broth and coconut milk to a gentle simmer.

Add aromatics

Toss in lemongrass, ginger/galangal, kaffir lime leaves, and chilies. Simmer for 5–10 minutes to infuse flavor.

Cook chicken & mushrooms

Add chicken (if raw, cook until done; if cooked, just heat through) and mushrooms. Simmer another 5 minutes.

Season

Stir in fish sauce, sugar, and lime juice. Taste and adjust:

More lime = tangier

More fish sauce = saltier/umami

More chili = spicier

Finish & serve

Remove lemongrass chunks (optional), garnish with coriander, and serve hot.

🔥 Tips for best flavor

Don’t boil hard after adding coconut milk—it can split. Keep it at a gentle simmer.

If you can find galangal and kaffir lime leaves, they make a big difference in authenticity.

Balance is key: Thai soups are all about sweet + sour + salty + spicy harmony.

Comments

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