Whenever I feel like a trip to Southeast Asia (but can’t actually get away) I make this nutty, smoky, hot and sweet red coconut curry soup. I grew up loving the pleasant medium heat. And I easily ratchet up the spice when I serve this to true fans of spicy food with a couple simple additions.
I first fell in love with a red curry soup very much like this one at a little Thai / Cambodian restaurant in my hometown while I was a waitress in high school. After I finished my shift, I’d order their la soupe Bangkok for me and my mom. It was one of our favorites! Even though the flavors were deep and complex, I watched the chefs effortlessly combine the boldness of red chilies and fragrant curry with rich peanut butter and sweet coconut milk.
This is my version.
I make the base of my own rich coconut curry soup by frying Thai red curry paste alongside garlic, ginger, onion, a little sugar, fish sauce, cumin, peanut butter, and chopped coriander stems. Then I add chicken broth and coconut milk. The secret is that I simmer the mixture until the broth reduces by about a third. I’m left with a thick, creamy concentrated soup that I served with rice vermicelli noodles, shredded iceberg lettuce, coriander leaves and a generous squeeze of citrus.
Table of Contents
Ingredients Needed
Scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this page for the full recipe steps and measurements.
- Oil: Use a neutral cooking oil with a high smoke point to quickly stir fry the aromatics. Vegetable, grapeseed or peanut oil are all great choices.
- Garlic, Ginger, Onions, and Chopped Coriander Stems: I use these as aromatics. When stir fried, they introduce a fragrant warmth to the soup broth.
- Red Curry Paste: Salty, herbaceous and spicy.
- Cumin: My favorite warming spice. Even a little adds unbelievable depth.
- Peanut Butter
- Granulated Sugar
- Fish Sauce: This savory, pungent, whiskey colored liquid is basically the table salt of Southeast Asia.
- Thai Rice Noodles: These are sometimes called rice stick noodles. Instead of boiling, most can be prepared by simply soaking in water.
- Chicken Stock and Coconut Milk: This forms the lion’s share of the soup broth.
- Iceberg Lettuce, Cilantro Leaves and Lemon or Lime: I use these as last minute garnishes, right before serving.
Variations
While this bold soup is already packed with flavor, here are some easy additions I use depending on who is coming over for dinner.
Make it spicier. For a slight boost, I either use a bit more curry paste, or go heavy with a dash of white pepper for a sharp, woody, shimmering heat. When my spice junky husband is home for dinner, I stir fry a couple of sliced Thai chilis in with the coriander stems and onions. This makes it volcanic.
Add a protein. Shrimp, tofu, boiled egg, chicken, etc. Pretty much anything works. However, I recommend cooking the protein separately and adding it to each bowl of soup before serving. That way it doesn’t overcook in the broth.
Use different noodles. Rice noodles are the traditional move here. But egg noodles, chow mein noodles, ramen noodles – even lo mein noodles are fine. Just be sure to follow the cooking instructions on the package for best results.
How To Make It
- Stir fry the aromatics in a large pot with a little oil. The onions should be translucent and the garlic and ginger fragrant.
- Add the broth ingredients to the same pot. Once boiling, lower the heat and simmer with the lid off until the broth has reduced by about a third. See the recipe card below for timing guidelines.
- Soak the rice noodles in a large bowl with water on the countertop, then drain.
- Assemble, garnish and serve. Portion out noodles and broth – then top with cilantro and shredded lettuce. Serve immediately.
Expert Tips
Be sure to simmer with the lid off. As the soup simmers, it reduces. This leaves me with a creamy, thick soup with highly concentrated flavors. While it’s tasty as soon as it’s boiling, it’s worth following this step for the best texture and flavor.
Don’t make the rice noodles until just before serving the soup. Most Thai rice stick noodles take about 7-9 minutes soaking in warm water to reach the proper consistency. And they’ll continue to cook a bit in the hot soup. The key for fresh, firm, springy texture is to drain them and then serve almost immediately. If they sit on the countertop for a long time after soaking, they may get a little sticky and soggy.
Only add the shredded lettuce to the serving bowls (not to the soup pot). Just like the rice noodles, the shredded lettuce will wilt in the hot soup. It’s supposed to. It picks up the flavors of the soup and provides wonderful texture. But the longer it sits, the more texture it loses. Lettuce is the perfect topping for the time it takes to eat a bowl of noodle soup – but doesn’t stand up to prolonged exposure to the heat.
Storage and Reheating
Store leftover coconut curry soup in the refrigerator (covered) for up to 3 days. Be sure to store any leftover rice noodles separate from the soup since they will become waterlogged and mushy if stored together. Do not add the shredded lettuce to leftovers.
Freeze the soup broth for up to 3 months. Again, do not freeze the noodles or the lettuce. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator prior to reheating.
Reheat in the microwave or in a pot on the stovetop until hot throughout. Serve over freshly prepared rice noodles and sprinkle with shredded lettuce and cilantro.
What I Serve With Coconut Curry Soup
I serve most Asian noodle soups as a complete meal at my place. But sometimes I pull out all the stops and serve a full-on Thai feast. These are some of my favorites:
- Thai Fried Rice
- Satay With Thai Peanut Sauce
- Basil Chicken
- Thai Egg and Brussels Sprouts Salad
- Cucumber and Shrimp Salad
And check out these other hard hitting Thai recipes: mango sticky rice, Thai yellow curry with cauliflower, pad Thai, vegetable pad see ew, drunken noodles, red curry chicken, pad woon sen, tom kha, Thai green curry
Frequently Asked Questions
Shredded lettuce is commonly added to Asian soups and stir fries as a textural element. As it wilts it absorbs the flavors of the dish while still retaining a soft crunch. I add shredded lettuce to my laksa, cold ramen and even to my fried rice from time to time.
If they’re soggy, they’re probably overcooked. Rice noodles rarely require boiling in a pot of water to soften. Usually soaking in a bowl of water on the countertop will do the trick. I always follow the package instructions – as recommended times can vary from brand to brand. And I make sure to time the draining of the rice noodles with the completion of the broth so the noodles don’t have a long wait before being served.
Yes – but with a couple of changes. First, ditch the fish sauce for vegan fish sauce. Second, use vegetable broth instead of the chicken broth. Finally, some vegans will want to use raw cane sugar instead of granulated sugar.
Did you like this recipe? Are there changes you made that you would like to share? Share your tips and recommendations in the comments section below!
Print
Red Coconut Curry Soup
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Soups
- Method: Stove top
- Cuisine: Thai
Description
My hot, smoky, sour and sweet red coconut curry soup is Southeast Asia in a bowl. Authentic flavors in just over a half-hour.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon peanut or vegetable oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 thumb size ginger, peeled and minced
- 3 tablespoons coriander stems (cilantro), finely chopped
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 3 tablespoons red curry paste
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons reduced fat peanut butter
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 3 1/2 cups chicken stock
- 1/2 cup lite coconut milk
- 100 grams dry rice noodles
- 2 cups shredded iceberg lettuce
- lemon wedges for serving
- handful fresh coriander leaves
Instructions
- Stir fry the aromatics. In a medium size pot over high heat, add oil, garlic, ginger, coriander stems and onion, and fry for 4-5 minutes, until onions are translucent.
- Make the broth. Add curry paste, cumin, sugar and peanut butter and stir well until well blended. Then add fish sauce, chicken stock and coconut milk and bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer and cook uncovered for 20 minutes – or until the soup has reduced by about a third (you can cook it for an additional 10 minutes if you like a stronger broth).
- Soak the rice noodles in hot water for 10 minutes, or according to directions on the package. Drain and set aside.
- Assemble and serve. Divide the broth among two bowls and add a slice of lemon. Add rice noodles and shredded lettuce. Top with fresh coriander leaves and serve.
Notes
The broth can be stored covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Store leftover broth separate from any leftover rice noodles.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4 servings
- Calories: 340
- Sugar: 7.8g
- Sodium: 1454.8g
- Fat: 14.3g
- Saturated Fat: 3.4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2.7g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 38.1g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 11g
- Cholesterol: 6.3g
I read the recipe and had to make it. Off the hook delicious. My whole family loved it. Very easy and the flavor punch was spot on. My 9 year old granddaughter asked for some too. Wasn’t spicy. I might have had a mild red curry paste this was fine. This is a wow recipe.
Thank you so much, Debra! It’s one of my favorite noodle soups so this makes me very happy! 🙂
Best damn thai soup EVER! Ihave been looking for this recipe everywhere. Trying to copy the little thai restaurant from val-belair in Québec city for years. Now I’m soo very close. Want to try this with a mix of panang and red curry from maseri. Thank you soo much for sharing. Peanut butter and cilantro stems are soo many of the secret ingredients.
Hi Jane! I wonder if it’s the same chain restaurant I worked in growing up in Quebec! So happy you enjoyed it 🙂
This is so tasty! I feel great about this meal because 1) I made it from scratch (not package) and 2) it’s SO yummy. I added lots of vegetables and some TVP for protein. I enjoy your recipes because they are easy to make, no need for fancy ingredients bought only for the recipe, and the outcome is always so delicious!
Thank you so much Nancy! 🙂
I’ve made this twice already! Each time we doubled the recipe to make room for adding russet potatoes and meat or seafood. First time I made it with normal coconut milk and second with light. I definitely like the normal better personally. We also boil the soup with bay leaves.
I was searching for a Thai soup recipe using keywords like “lettuce” and “peanut” lol and I found yours. I now live in Montréal but I’m from St-Étienne-des-grès and for us too this soup was a delight. Thanks for the memories!!!
Merci Joelle!
Hi Caroline!
Did you lived in St Bruno?
Hi Alice! No, I’m from the Trois-Rivieres area, total boonies but we lived in a beautiful house by the Riviere Saint-Maurice 🙂 I miss it sometimes, the peace and quiet and yummy poutine from the roulotte a patates hehe!
Loved it. But how do I make it less spicy so that my kids can also enjoy it?
They loved the taste, but they couldn’t eat a lot of it because it was too spicy
Thanks
Hi Elisabetta, you could swap the red curry paste for green curry paste. The heat comes from red and yellow chili peppers, so with green curry paste you only get mild and sweet. I think your kids would love it 🙂
Hi!
Made this tonight and it turned out really well. I’m hoping it does make for good lunch left overs. The only thing I added to this was a bit of fried shallot, which I liked quite well with it. Something nice about the texture with this soup. But it’s obviously good on it’s own and I would never feel pressed to fry up a batch to go with this.
Thanks for sharing the recipe! I’m looking forward to making more of yours in the future!
~cheers
Hi K, I concur that fried shallots are one of the best toppings ever!
This soup is AMAZING! I am getting ready to make it again. This time for company.
Thank you Tami!
This was incredible! I have to admit I was a little hesitant about the shredded lettuce on top but it’s essential. My husband and I gobbled it up. I can’t wait to make it again! Thank you for sharing such a spectacular recipe!
Thank you Amanda! 🙂
This was amazing! I felt guilty not having any veggies so I added some shredded carrots and sliced snow peas when I was sautéing the onions, garlic and ginger. That was the only change I made to this recipe. This was so satisfying and almost better the next day for lunch! A definite keeper! Am curious as to why reduced fat peanut butter and lite coconut milk? Is it just a caloric consideration?
Hi Katy, that’s exactly why I’m using reduced fat peanut butter and lite coconut milk. I’m sure it tastes even better when using the full fat ingredients but I prefer to go easy on that so I can enjoy a bigger bowl of it minus the guilt 😉