Coconut curry chicken soup is a flavorful blend of tangy Indian and Thai curry spices, chicken, rice, ginger and lime that can help reduce inflammation and heal the body and soul. Even my kids love this soup!
Thai curry recipes are one of the most powerful types of foods to eat to help reduce inflammation and ease joint pain and arthritis pain thanks to the magic of turmeric and ginger. This soup can help detox the liver, improve skin health, boosts the immune system and helps support weight loss. A few other favorite turmeric recipes we love to enjoy are this healing vegetarian rice soup, curry rice vegetable bowl, turmeric lemonade, turmeric overnight oats, golden milk tea.
The other week we had leftover grilled chicken breast and a pantry stacked high with canned coconut milk. That combo got my brain juices flowing thinking about creamy-dreamy coconut, ginger and lime flavors together in a warm and comforting soup recipe.
This yellow coconut curry chicken soup is astonishingly delicious and easy to make with most of the items you might already have in stock!
It is blend of Indian and Thai spices – all which make this curry soup fantastic! You can learn more about the difference between Thai (curry) and Indian (masala) spices and the difference here, but in a nutshell Indian spices use masala which is sweeter and made without turmeric and Thai uses turmeric based spices that are less sweet. Honestly, I had to research it first but I mixed the flavors and and it won our family over!
In-fact, my eight year old gobbled his entire bowl the first AND second time I made it prior to sharing it here. Since this is more of an ethnic food, I was not sure how the kids would jive with it, but it checks out, even with all those little chopped up veggies included! If you are making this for the whole family I suggest adding the chili powder at the end to each persons liking.
I’ve got one kid that likes his food spicy and one that favors it without, so leaving it out of the pot made this healthy soup a favorite all around.
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Healthy Ingredients
- Full fat canned coconut milk. Do not use lite, use full fat coconut milk for this recipe. I found when I use lite it tends to curdle a bit if the heat gets too high and makes the soup slightly watery and creamier when using whole coconut milk.
- Vegetable broth which adds a bonus amount of plant-based nutrients
- Seasonings of turmeric, salt, pepper, garam masala, garlic, fresh lemon grass, fresh cilantro and an optional dash of chili powder.
- Dash of sugar to cut any bitterness – I like to use monk fruit or Xylitol, but coconut sugar can also be used.
- Vegetables: onion, chard or kale, celery, carrots.
- Lime juice for bold zesty flavor!
- Fresh ginger which is great for digestion and adds beautiful flavor.
- White rice for hearty texture.
How to make Indian Coconut Curry Chicken Rice Soup
Prepare by cooking a chicken breast in the oven at 400 degrees F for 20 minutes or until it is cooked through and no longer pink inside. Slice and chop it into cubes; or use leftover grilled chicken or a rotisserie. If the chicken is very thick, slice it in half horizontally first so you have two thinner slices.
Chop and prepare all of the vegetables. In a large pot add the onion, celery, carrots, chard, coconut milk, vegetable broth, lemon grass, garlic, turmeric, garam masala, fresh ginger, salt and pepper and cook on medium-high heat until it starts to bubble on the sides. Turn the heat down to a simmer. Add the rice, then cover and let it simmer for about 20 minutes or until the rice is cooked. Add the lime juice, cooked chicken and cilantro. Serve into 4 bowls and garnish with a dash of chili powder per liking.
Time saving tips to get this curry chicken soup on the table faster:
Chop the ingredients in advance and use rice that is already cooked. If using precooked rice, add it in during the last 5 minutes of heating with lime juice and cilantro.
Can I make this soup vegetarian?
Yes you can! Just eliminate adding the chicken and you can leave it as is or add in a can of washed and drained chickpeas.
Can This Soup Be Grain-Free?
Yes again! Swap out the rice for cauliflower rice. Just add 2 cups of riced cauliflower 15 minutes before serving to soften.
More ethnic recipes to enjoy:
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Indian Coconut Curry Chicken and Rice Soup
Ingredients
- 1 15 ounce can full fat coconut milk
- 3 cups vegetable broth
- 2 cups chard stems removed and chopped (or kale with stems removed and chopped)
- 2 cups cooked chicken breasts cubed or shredded
- 1/2 cup red onion diced
- 1/2 cup celery diced
- 1/2 cup carrots diced
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon pink salt
- 1/4 teaspoon fresh black pepper
- 2 sticks lemon grass
- 1 inch fresh ginger grated
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar Monk fruit, Xylitol or coconut sugar
- 1/2 cup white rice uncooked
- 2 limes juice of
- 3/4 cup fresh cilantro chopped
- chili powder optional for a bit of kick
Instructions
- If you need to cook the chicken: Prepare by cooking a chicken breast on a sheet pan in the oven at 400 degrees F for 20 minutes or until the center is cooked through and no longer pink. If the chicken is very thick, slice it in half horizontally to have thinner slices. Dice into cubes or shred the chicken; or use leftover grilled chicken or a rotisserie.
- Chop all of the vegetables and in a large pot add the onion, celery, carrots, chard, coconut milk, vegetable broth, lemon grass, garlic, sugar, turmeric, garam masala, fresh ginger, salt and pepper and cook on medium-high heat until it starts to bubble on the sides. Turn the heat down to a simmer. Add the rice then cover and let it simmer for about 20 minutes or until the rice is cooked. Add the lime juice, cooked chicken, and cilantro.
- Serve into 4 bowls and optional to garnish with a bit of chili powder.
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