Coconut Curry Soup Cilantro Recipe
This coconut curry soup cilantro recipe builds a creamy, gingery broth with red or yellow curry paste and lime. Simmer it in one pot and give it a try.
Coconut curry soup cilantro recipe like this one starts with toasted Thai curry paste simmered in coconut milk and broth, then finishes with lime juice and fresh cilantro.
The soup simmers in one pot and welcomes optional add-ins like chicken, shrimp, tofu, or rice noodles, so here’s how to make it.
This coconut curry soup cilantro recipe begins with a short sauté of onion, garlic, and ginger, so the base has flavor before any liquid goes in. Everything cooks in a single soup pot.
One detail worth knowing: the lime juice and cilantro go in after the pot comes off the heat. And if you’re unsure about spice, start with 2 tablespoons of curry paste.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Coconut Curry Soup
- The broth is creamy from full-fat coconut milk, with a little sweetness from brown sugar or maple syrup and a bright finish from lime.
- You control the heat. Two tablespoons of curry paste gives mild to medium spice, and you can go up to three.
- The add-ins are flexible, from cooked chicken, shrimp, or tofu to rice noodles, mushrooms, bell peppers, or baby spinach.
- Simple swaps cover a gluten-free option (tamari) and a vegetarian or vegan soup (extra soy sauce or tamari in place of fish sauce).
Coconut Curry Soup with Cilantro (Creamy and Easy)
Equipment
- Large soup pot
- Knife
- Cutting board
- Grater
- Wooden spoon
- Ladle
- Food thermometer
- Shallow airtight containers
Ingredients
Aromatics
- cooking oil as needed, for sautéing
- 1 small onion chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger grated
- 2 to 3 tablespoons Thai red or yellow curry paste start with 2 tablespoons for mild to medium heat
Broth and Creamy Base
- 4 cups vegetable or chicken broth
- 1 (13.5-ounce) can full-fat coconut milk makes the soup creamy
Flavor Boosters
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce or tamari use tamari for a gluten-free option
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce replace with additional soy sauce or tamari for a vegetarian or vegan soup
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar or maple syrup
- ½ lime juiced; stirred in off the heat
Finishing Touches
- ½ cup fresh cilantro chopped, plus more for garnish
- salt to taste
Optional Add-Ins
- cooked chicken, shrimp, tofu, or rice noodles optional; cook shrimp only until pink and opaque
- mushrooms, bell peppers, or baby spinach optional
Instructions
- Heat a little oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, and ginger and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until softened and fragrant.
- Add the curry paste and cook for about 1 minute, stirring constantly, to toast the paste and build its flavor.
- Pour in the broth and coconut milk. Stir in the soy sauce or tamari, fish sauce, and brown sugar or maple syrup. Bring the soup to a gentle boil.
- Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- If you’re using cooked chicken, tofu, rice noodles, or vegetables, add them now and cook only until heated through. If you’re using raw shrimp, simmer for a few minutes until pink and opaque.
- Remove the pot from the heat. Stir in the lime juice and chopped cilantro. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt, more lime juice, tamari, or curry paste as needed.
- Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with extra fresh cilantro. Serve hot.
Notes
What Ingredients Do You Need for Coconut Curry Soup?
| Ingredient Group | Ingredient | Exact Amount | Purpose or Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aromatics | Cooking oil | As needed, for sautéing | Used to cook the aromatics |
| Aromatics | Onion | 1 small, chopped | Cooked with the garlic and ginger |
| Aromatics | Garlic | 2 cloves, minced | Cooked with the onion and ginger |
| Aromatics | Fresh ginger | 1 tablespoon, grated | Cooked with the onion and garlic |
| Aromatics | Thai red or yellow curry paste | 2 to 3 tablespoons | Start with 2 tablespoons for mild to medium heat |
| Broth and Creamy Base | Vegetable or chicken broth | 4 cups | Forms the liquid base |
| Broth and Creamy Base | Full-fat coconut milk | 1 (13.5-ounce) can | Makes the soup creamy |
| Flavor Boosters | Soy sauce or tamari | 1 tablespoon | Use tamari for a gluten-free option |
| Flavor Boosters | Fish sauce | 1 tablespoon | Replace with additional soy sauce or tamari for a vegetarian or vegan soup |
| Flavor Boosters | Brown sugar or maple syrup | 1 tablespoon | Adds sweetness to the broth |
| Flavor Boosters | Lime | ½, juiced | Stirred in off the heat |
| Finishing Touches | Fresh cilantro | ½ cup, chopped, plus more for garnish | Stirred in off the heat and used as garnish |
| Optional Add-Ins | Cooked chicken, shrimp, tofu, or rice noodles | Optional | Add near the end and heat through; cook shrimp only until pink and opaque |
| Optional Add-Ins | Mushrooms, bell peppers, or baby spinach | Optional | Optional vegetables |
The curry paste, coconut milk, and cilantro shape this soup the most. Full-fat coconut milk gives the broth its creamy body, and the paste sets the heat.
The cilantro ingredient in this coconut curry soup goes in at the end: ½ cup stirred in off the heat, with more saved for garnish.
How to Make Coconut Curry Soup Step by Step
- Heat a little oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, and ginger and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until softened and fragrant.
- Add the curry paste and cook for about 1 minute, stirring constantly, to toast the paste and develop its flavor.
Pro Tip: Keep stirring for that full minute, since the goal is to toast the paste and build its flavor.
- Pour in the broth and coconut milk. Stir in the soy sauce or tamari, fish sauce, and brown sugar or maple syrup. Bring the soup to a gentle boil.
- Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add cooked chicken, tofu, rice noodles, or vegetables if using, and cook only until heated through. If using raw shrimp, simmer for a few minutes until pink and opaque.
- Remove the pot from the heat. Stir in the lime juice and chopped cilantro. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt, more lime juice, tamari, or curry paste as needed.
Pro Tip: Taste after the lime juice and cilantro go in, because that is when the soup is ready to season.
- Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with extra fresh cilantro. Serve hot.
Coconut Curry Soup Tips, Variations, and Troubleshooting
Pro Tips for Success
- Start with 2 tablespoons of curry paste for mild to medium heat. You can add more at the end, but you can’t take it out.
- Add cooked chicken, tofu, rice noodles, or vegetables only until they’re heated through. The soup has already simmered for 10 minutes by then.
- Season at the very end. Salt, lime juice, tamari, and curry paste each change the soup differently, so adjust one at a time.
Variations
Gluten-free (optional): Use tamari in place of soy sauce, as the recipe notes.
Vegetarian or vegan (optional): Replace the fish sauce with additional soy sauce or tamari, and use vegetable broth.
Add-ins (optional): Stir in cooked chicken, shrimp, tofu, or rice noodles near the end, or add mushrooms, bell peppers, or baby spinach.
Troubleshooting Common Problems
Problem: The soup tastes flat.
Solution: Taste and adjust with salt, more lime juice, tamari, or curry paste. Add a little at a time and taste again.
Problem: The soup isn’t spicy enough.
Solution: Add more curry paste. The recipe allows 2 to 3 tablespoons, so you have room to go up from 2.
Problem: You’re not sure when the shrimp are done.
Solution: Simmer raw shrimp for a few minutes, only until they turn pink and opaque.
How to Store and Reheat Coconut Curry Soup
| Storage Method | Duration | Best Practice |
|---|---|---|
| Refrigerator | 3 to 4 days | Refrigerate within 2 hours of cooking, in shallow containers 3 inches deep or less |
| Room temperature | 2 hours at most (1 hour above 90°F) | Discard soup left out longer than that |
These limits come from USDA’s leftovers guidance. The recipe itself doesn’t give storage times, so this is general food-safety advice.
To reheat, use the stove, microwave, or oven rather than a slow cooker. Bring the soup to a rolling boil and check that it reaches 165°F with a food thermometer.
Cover the soup while it reheats. In the microwave, stir it and check the temperature in several spots, since microwaves heat unevenly.
If you want to stretch leftovers, stir in baby spinach or extra cooked chicken as the soup comes back to a boil.
Frequently Asked Questions About Coconut Curry Soup
Can I make coconut curry soup vegetarian or vegan?
Yes. Use vegetable broth and replace the fish sauce with additional soy sauce or tamari, as the recipe notes for a vegetarian or vegan soup. Tofu, mushrooms, bell peppers, and baby spinach all work as add-ins.
Is this coconut curry soup gluten-free?
It can be. The recipe calls for tamari in place of soy sauce as a gluten-free option. It doesn’t address other ingredients, so check the labels on your broth and curry paste too.
How spicy is this soup, and how do I adjust the heat?
Two tablespoons of Thai red or yellow curry paste gives mild to medium heat. The recipe allows up to 3 tablespoons, and you can taste at the end and stir in more curry paste.
What can I add to coconut curry soup?
You can add cooked chicken, shrimp, tofu, or rice noodles, plus mushrooms, bell peppers, or baby spinach. Add them near the end and heat through, and cook raw shrimp only until pink and opaque.
What is the origin and history of coconut curry soup?
There isn’t a single well-documented origin for coconut curry soup as a dish, so any exact date or place would be a guess. This version’s base, Thai curry paste toasted and simmered with coconut milk, is a pairing found in many Thai curries.
Give This Soup a Try
Make a pot of this coconut curry soup and taste as you go. The lime, tamari, and curry paste let you steer it toward brighter, saltier, or spicier.
Leave a comment or star rating to tell other readers how it turned out, and save it to Pinterest for the next time you want a creamy pot of soup.
Looking for more to cook this week? Try creamy pumpkin parmesan orzo, teriyaki turkey meatball bento bowls, or pappardelle burrata pasta.
Save this coconut curry soup cilantro recipe for a creamy, gingery pot finished with fresh lime and cilantro. Stir in chicken, shrimp, tofu, or rice noodles to make it your own, and pin it for later.
