Thai Green Curry Soup

This amazing Thai green curry soup recipe is ultra-easy to whip up on a weeknight, and completely customizable with your favorite vegetables, proteins (chicken, shrimp, steak, tofu, or veggies-only) and toppings.

Meet the everyday meal that we turn to when we’re either (a) in a hurry (b) craving something warm and ultra-cozy (c) not feeling like an extra trip to the grocery store, or most often, (d) all of the above.

Today we’re talking about my favorite Thai green curry soup. ♡

Oh my goodness, we’ve made some version of this recipe more times than I can begin to count. Because here’s the secret — it’s really not a recipe. It’s basically just a big pot of the most amazing green curry broth that doubles as either a simple sauce or a soupy broth, to which you can add whatever you have on hand that sounds good! Any kind of rice or noodles or grains? Bring ’em on. Want to add some meat (any kind of chicken, steak, pork, etc.), seafood (shrimp, scallops, etc.), or go 100% vegan (tofu or veggie-only)? Take your pick! Need to clean out those leftover veggies in the crisper drawer or freezer? Guys, literally any vegetables would work well in this curry.

Truly. Curry is that magical meal that somehow brilliantly brings together whatever ingredients you might happen to have on hand. And especially this time of year, as the weather is cooling off and warm bowls of soup are sounding extra-cozy, I can vouch that this green curry has a way of hitting the spot every time.

Bonus? A big steaming pot of this green curry recipe can also be ready to go in just about 30 minutes.

Let’s make some.

Thai Green Curry Soup Ingredients:

As I said, the ingredients in this recipe are 1 million percent customizable. So please make it your own and add in whatever sounds good! Some basics you’ll need include:

• Green curry paste: This is the starring ingredient in this recipe. If you’re new to working with green curry paste (affiliate link), heads up, it definitely packs some heat. So I recommend adding in 2 tablespoons to start, then add extra tablespoons to taste, if desired. (I typically use 4-5 tablespoons in this recipe, but I love a spicy curry.)
• Coconut milk: I recommend full-fat canned coconut milk for this recipe. But feel free to use low-fat if you’d like.
• Vegetable stock: This will be the backbone of our broth.
• Onion, garlic and ginger: These will be the other main seasonings for our broth. (If you’re really in a hurry, feel free to sub in onion powder and ground ginger.)
• Noodles, rice or grains: I cook my noodles, rice or grains in a separate pot. Then you can add them to the broth once they’re cooked and ready to go.
• Veggies galore: The more the merrier in curry, if you ask me! Fresh or frozen vegetables are welcome. And feel free to either cook your veggies in the curry broth as it heats up, or cook them separately (in a sauté pan, or in the oven, or use leftovers) and then add them in at the end — you pick. Some of my favorite veggies for curry include:
  • bell peppers, broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, mushrooms, peas, squash, sweet potatoes, and/or Yukon gold potatoes
  • greens such as kale, spinach, chard, or collards
• (Optional) Meat, seafood or tofu: Similarly to the veggies, you are welcome to either cook your proteins separately or actually in the curry broth as it heats up. I typically add in leftover chicken (or your can shred a rotisserie), steak, pork, shrimp or tofu.
• Toppings: I always, always add some chopped fresh cilantro (plus maybe some fresh mint) to my curry. Plus usually some chopped red or green onions. Other toppings could include toasted sesame seeds, toasted flaked coconut, sliced Thai bird chiles, or whatever else sounds delicious.

How To Make Green Curry Soup:

If you happen to have leftover noodles/rice/grains, veggies, or proteins on hand, this recipe can go even faster. Otherwise, I recommend doing a bit of multi-tasking to make this recipe go a bit more quickly. Here’s how I make green curry soup:

1. Cook the noodles/rice/grains. In a separate pot (or in the Instant Pot), cook up your noodles, rice or grains according to the package instructions. Once they’re ready to go, drain (if needed) and set aside. If you’re cooking noodles, I also recommend rinsing them in a colander with cold water and tossing them with some sesame oil to keep them from sticking.
2. Cook the broth. Meanwhile, get your broth going. Just sauté the onion and garlic. Then add in the veggie stock, coconut milk, curry paste and ginger, and simmer (covered) until ready to use.
3. Cook your proteins (if using). As I mentioned above, you can either cook your proteins actually in the broth, or separately (in the oven, on the stove, or in the Instant Pot, depending on your protein) and then add it in at the end.
4. Cook your veggies. You also have the choice of cooking your veggies actually in the broth, or separately (in the oven, on the stove, or in the Instant Pot, depending on your veggies). Or, of course, feel free to sauté any veggies that you’d like along with the onions when making your broth.
5. Combine everything together. Once the elements above are all ready to go, you can either stir them all together in your big soup pot, or layer them together in your individual serving bowls.
6. Don’t forget the toppings! I highly recommend adding at least a few toppings to your green curry bowls for extra flavor. Then…enjoy!

Variations:

Some other options you have to mix this Thai green curry soup up? Feel free to….

• Make it spicier. You can always add in extra green curry paste. Or I also love to add in a few slices of jalapeño, serrano, Thai bird chiles, or a sprinkle of crushed red chile flakes to spice this up.
• Make it milder. Did your curry get too spicy? Don’t panic — just add in some more coconut milk and veggie stock (or water) to thin out the broth a bit.
• Make it red or yellow. If green curry paste isn’t your favorite, feel free to swap in red curry paste or yellow curry paste for slightly different flavor.
• Make it soupier. If you want an even brothier curry, feel free to double the broth. It makes for fantastic leftovers!
• Make it saucier. If you want a less-brothy curry, do the opposite and halve the amount of broth. :)
• Make it hot-pot style! Want a fun way to entertain your friends and family? Make this broth in the Instant Pot, then add it to the center of your table, surrounded by plates/bowls full of individual ingredients. Then let everyone add their own veggies/proteins to the broth to cook, then ladle them out into their own serving bowls, and sprinkle with their desired toppings. It’s a really fun way to entertain and enjoy curry!

Storage Tips:

If you have some leftovers, lucky you! This green curry tastes even better the next day, if you ask me. A few tips…

• The coconut milk will probably separate. Don’t be scared — the broth will tend to separate when refrigerated and look a little weird. But just heat it back up on the stove or in the microwave, and it’ll be back to looking normal and delicious.
• If you can, store the noodles/rice/grains separately. Otherwise they will probably soak up most of the curry broth as they sit, which isn’t a bad thing. But if you want your curry to stay fairly soupy, I recommend storing separately.
• Refrigerator storage. This green curry recipe will keep in the fridge in a sealed container for up to 3 days.
• Freezer storage. Unfortunately coconut milk doesn’t freeze well, so I don’t recommend freezing this recipe.

Enjoy, everyone!

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Thai Green Curry Soup

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.6 from 24 reviews

• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 15 minutes
• Total Time: 30 minutes
• Yield: 8 -10 servings

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Description

This amazing Thai green curry soup recipe is ultra-easy to whip up on a weeknight, and completely customizable with your favorite vegetables, proteins and toppings.  See tips above for all of the various ingredients you can use!

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 8 ounces rice noodles
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 small white onion, peeled and thinly sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 8 cups vegetable stock
• 1 (15-ounce) can coconut milk
• 3-6 tablespoons green curry paste, added to taste
• 1-inch piece of fresh ginger, sliced into thick rounds
• 2 cups cooked chopped protein (such as shrimp, chicken, steak, pork or tofu)
• 2-3 cups chopped vegetables (see ideas below)
• toppings: chopped fresh cilantro, chopped green or red onion, toasted sesame seeds

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Instructions

1. Cook the rice noodles (or rice or grains).  In a large stockpot, cook the noodles (or rice or grains) according to the package instructions.  Drain in a colander, then rinse with cold water, and drizzle with a splash of oil (or I like to use toasted sesame oil), and toss until the noodles are evenly coated.  This will help prevent them from sticking.  Set aside.
2. Cook the broth.  Meanwhile, get your broth going.  Heat oil in a separate large stockpot over medium-high heat.  Add onion and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add garlic and sauté for 1 more minute, stirring occasionally.  Then add in the veggie stock, coconut milk, curry paste and ginger, and stir to combine.  Continue cooking until the broth reaches a simmer.  Then reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer until ready to use.  Taste and season with salt and pepper, as needed.  Meanwhile…
3. Cook your proteins (if using).  As I mentioned above, you can either cook your protein actually in the broth, or separately (in the oven, on the stove, or in the Instant Pot, depending on your protein) and then add it in at the end.
4. Cook your veggies.  You also have the choice of cooking your veggies actually in the broth, or separately (in the oven, on the stove, or in the Instant Pot, depending on your veggies).  Or, of course, feel free to sauté any veggies that you’d like along with the onions when making your broth.
5. Combine everything together.  Once the elements above are all ready to go, you can either combine and stir them all together in your big stockpot.  Or, you can layer them together in your individual serving bowls.  Then sprinkle each serving bowl with your desired toppings, serve warm and enjoy!

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Notes

Some of my favorite veggies to include bell peppers, broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, mushrooms, peas, squash, sweet potatoes, and/or Yukon gold potatoes.  Or greens such as kale, spinach, chard, or collards.