Thai Coconut Soup

Thai Coconut Soup is another chicken broth based soup that I make a lot. I view it as a variation on the Tortilla Soup recipe I posted yesterday.
*I think this is a universal recipe; every culture has it. Yesterday we did the Mexican version, today we'll do the Thai version. We did the American version with our turkey noodle soup from a while back.



The basic steps are exactly the same; saute your aromatics and spices, add your chicken broth, simmer, then pour over your starch and meat.  The differences are in the details.  As an example, let's look at the aromatics:
Mexican: Onion, hot pepper, garlic, tomato, lime juice, cilantro, cumin
Thai: Onion, hot pepper, garlic, cilantro, lime juice, fish sauce, thai curry paste, coconut milk

There's a lot of overlap on those lists, no?

📖 Recipe Card

Thai Coconut Soup

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• Author: Mike Vrobel
• Total Time: 40 minutes
• Yield: 6 servings 1x

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Description

Chicken stock and coconut milk simmered with onion, Thai curry paste, garlic, cilantro and lemongrass, balanced with lime, soy and fish sauce, and served over rice and chicken.

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x

Soup

• 1 tablespoon peanut or vegetable oil
• 1 medium onion, halved and thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons Thai curry paste
• 3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
• Stems from ¼ bunch cilantro
• 1 stalk lemongrass (optional)
• 1 quart homemade chicken stock
• 2 (13.5 ounce) cans unsweetened coconut milk (regular or light)
• 1 teaspoon fish sauce
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• Juice of 2 limes
• 1 tablespoon sugar

Toppings

• Leftover cooked rice, preferably jasmine
• About 1 pound cooked chicken, sliced
• Cilantro leaves, minced
• Jalapeno, serrano or Thai bird chile, thinly sliced

Optional Garnishes

• Chopped peanuts
• Sriracha or other Asian hot sauce
• Lime wedges

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Instructions

1. Saute the aromatics: Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the onion, and saute until just starting to brown, about 8 minutes. Make a hole in the center of the pot, add the curry paste and garlic, and toast for 30 seconds to 1 minute, until you smell the garlic.
2. Simmer the broth: Add the chicken stock, coconut milk and fish sauce. Tie the cilantro stems and lemongrass into a bundle, and add it to the pot. Scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot, then bring to a boil over high heat. Boil for 1 minute, then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
3. Season the soup: Remove and discard the cilantro and lemongrass bundle. Stir in the soy sauce, lime juice and sugar, then season to taste with salt, pepper, more soy sauce, lime juice, sugar, and maybe a little hot sauce. You're looking for a balance of hot, sour, salty and sweet.
4. Serve: Put some rice and chicken in each bowl, and ladle the broth over them. Top with cilantro, sliced chiles, and any garnishes you like.

Equipment

6 Quart Dutch Oven

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Notes

Tie the cilantro bundle to the pot handle with a piece of string - it makes it easy to fish out later.

Use unsweetened coconut milk, not cream of coconut. Cream of coconut is sweetened for drinks like piña coladas, and is far too sweet for this soup.

Look for lemongrass at an Asian market.

This is a hearty soup that's a meal on its own. If you're really hungry, serve it with stir fried vegetables.

Fresh chicken: After simmering the broth, add 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts sliced ¼ inch thick, and simmer for 3 to 5 minutes until just cooked through. Then season the soup.

Pork: Use sliced pork loin or tenderloin instead of the chicken.

Inspired by Meredith Deeds and Carla Snyder's The Take-out Menu Cookbook.

• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 25 minutes

Questions?  Comments?  Other ideas?  Leave them in the comments section below.

Related Posts:
Pressure Cooker Chicken Stock
This recipe is a great way to use up Grilled Thai Chicken
Asian Noodle Salad

Inspired by:
Meredith Deeds and Carla Snyder: The Take-out Menu Cookbook

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