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    Home » Recipes » Soup Recipes

    Wicked Thai Chicken Soup

    Oct 18, 2018 | by Jennifer | Last Updated: Jun 11, 2021

    Jump to Recipe

    This flavourful Thai soup features chicken, rice and mushrooms, in a lightly creamy Thai flavoured red curry broth. Deliciously different chicken and rice soup!

    Wicked Thai chicken soup in white bowl with limes and cilantro

    This Thai chicken soup is one I have been enjoying for years. Its hearty and flavourful, featuring wonderful Thai flavours, which are a favourite of mine. With the chicken and rice, it's also hearty enough to satisfy as a dinner soup.

    This soup starts with cooked chicken and cooked rice, so needless to say, if you happen to have either of those in your fridge as leftovers, you are ahead of the game. Even if you don't, the soup comes together quickly. I usually make the rice ahead and refrigerate, then make the soup quickly at dinner time. If I don't have cooked chicken already, I simply dice up a chicken breast and quickly cook it up in a skillet as I start the soup.

    Jump to:
    • Ingredient Notes
    • Cook's Notes
    • Recipe
    • More Soup Recipes You Might Like ...
    • Comments, Questions and Reviews

    Ingredient Notes

    Chicken - I generally use boneless chicken breasts, though boneless chicken thighs are fine here, too. Left-over cooked chicken is ideal, as you can skip the step of cooking the chicken ahead.

    Mushrooms - Regular white or cremini mushrooms are best here.

    Red Bell Pepper - use fresh if you have it. Jarred roasted red peppers will also work here.

    Fish Sauce - ideal if you have it. If not, you can substitute soy sauce.

    Worcestershire Sauce - again, ideal if you have it. If not, simply add another splash of soy sauce.

    Half and Half Cream - this is 10% b.f. cream. You can substitute milk, but your soup will be less creamy. For a non-dairy soup, replace the cream with more coconut milk.

    Coconut Milk - I like to use regular coconut milk for the creaminess and thickness, but lite will work here as well.

    Thai Red Curry Paste - I prefer red curry paste in this soup. If you only have green or yellow, you can use, though the flavour profile will be a bit different.

    Sambal Oelek - this is the spicy Asian Chili sauce. It packs a punch, so use to taste or omit if you don't want any heat. Asian Chili Garlic Sauce is a good substitute or even Sriracha.

    Rice - Any cooked rice is fine here. I prefer a classic long-grain rice, but Basmati, brown rice or a wild-rice mix would also work.

    For thickening - cornstarch or arrowroot starch, mixed with water.

    Cook's Notes

    • One important note about this soup! You don't want to combine the soup with the rice until right before you will be eating it. If you're cooking rice at the same time you are making the soup, simply spoon some warm rice into a bowl and spoon the hot soup overtop. If you are starting with leftover rice, simply warm slightly before adding to bowl and spooning the hot soup over top.
    • Likewise, if you have leftover soup and rice, refrigerate separately. To reheat, you can add the rice to the soup to reheat, as long as you will be consuming right away.
    • The reason for this? The rice soaks up the soup as it sits, resulting in a bowl of rice instead of a bowl of soup.
    • Start with leftover cooked chicken (or chicken from a rotisserie chicken) and/or leftover cooked rice to make this soup even more quickly!

    Change it Up! Use Asian noodles instead of rice. Simply soak/cook any Asian noodle and add some to the bowl before spooning over the hot soup.

    Wicked Thai chicken soup in white bowl with limes and cilantro

    Recipe

    Wicked Thai chicken soup in white bowl with limes and cilantro

    Wicked Thai Chicken Soup

    A hearty Thai-inspired chicken and rice soup, with mushrooms and vegetables, in a lightly creamy, Thai-inspired broth.
    Author: Jennifer
    5 stars from 18 ratings
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    Prep Time 20 mins
    Cook Time 30 mins
    Total Time 50 mins
    Course Soup
    Servings 6 servings

    Ingredients
     

    • 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
    • 1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
    • 1/2 red bell pepper, sliced into thin 2-inch strips
    • 1 1/2 cups mushrooms, sliced, (a standard 8 oz. size tray package)
    • 4 cups chicken broth
    • 1 large chicken breast, cooked, then diced or cut into bite-sized pieces
    • 1 tsp fish sauce
    • 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
    • 1 tsp lemongrass paste, optional
    • 1 cup half and half (10%) cream, or use 1 cup more coconut milk instead
    • 1/2 cup coconut milk, 1 small can or if using a large can stir coconut milk first, then measure out
    • 2 tsp red curry paste
    • 1 tsp Sambal Oelek chili paste, or Asian Garlic Chili Paste/Sriracha as an alternative but you may need less
    • 3 Tbsp tomato paste, to taste
    • 1 Tbsp cornstarch
    • 2 cups cooked rice, long grain white, basmati or brown rice or try a mix of long grain with wild rice for some added texture
    • leaves Fresh cilantro, parsley or basil shredded for garnish
    Prevent screen from going dark

    Instructions
     

    • Start rice cooking. If cooking chicken, cut in half lengthwise to make thinner pieces and cook in a skillet over medium heat until cooked through. Remove to cool slightly, then dice. Set aside.
    • Heat large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add 1 Tbsp. oil. When hot, add mushrooms and cook until golden and tender. Remove to a plate. In the same pot, add remaining 1 Tbsp. oil and heat. Add onion and red pepper, and saute just until softened. Return mushrooms to pot. Add broth and cooked chicken and heat through. Add fish sauce and Worcestershire sauce, lemongrass paste (if using) and simmer 5 minutes. Add cream and coconut milk, turn heat to low, then cover and simmer 2 minutes.
    • In a small bowl, combine curry paste, Sambal Oelek, tomato paste and cornstarch and mix until incorporated. Stir into soup until combined and heat until soup simmers, thickens slightly and has a velvety appearance. Taste and season with salt and pepper, as needed. 
    • To serve, spoon some hot rice into a bowl, then spoon hot soup over-top. Serve immediately garnished with cilantro, parsley or basil leaves. 
    • Store any leftover rice and soup separately, as the rice will soak up all the soup broth if store together. 

    Notes

    If making the soup ahead, don't add the rice until you re-warm the soup for serving, as it will begin to absorb the broth and thicken the soup. For left-overs, if you'd like to thin, you can add a bit more chicken broth and/or milk.
    Be sure to read the "Cook's Notes" in the original post, for more tips, options, substitutions and variations for this recipe!

    Nutrition

    Sodium: 423mg | Calcium: 64mg | Vitamin C: 17.2mg | Vitamin A: 840IU | Sugar: 5g | Fiber: 1g | Potassium: 555mg | Cholesterol: 31mg | Calories: 304kcal | Saturated Fat: 10g | Fat: 15g | Protein: 12g | Carbohydrates: 28g | Iron: 1.6mg

    Nutritional information provided for general guidance only and should not be relied upon to make personal health decisions.

    Course Soup
    Cuisine American
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    Meet the Author:
    Hi! I'm Jennifer, a home-cook of many years and a lifelong seeker of delicious food! I'm an equal opportunity eater. I enjoy eating all the foods!

    I love to share the classic recipes that I have enjoyed for years, as well as newer discoveries, that have become fast favourites.
    More about me here ...


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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Lori says

      November 01, 2021 at 9:08 pm

      5 stars
      Absolutely fabulous! I used all coconut milk & added some fresh ginger. It's tough to find a perfect recipe, but you did it. Thanks!!!

      Reply
      • Jennifer says

        November 02, 2021 at 9:01 am

        So glad to hear, Lori :) Thanks so much!

        Reply
    2. Sue says

      October 15, 2021 at 12:59 pm

      5 stars
      This was delicious! We added more salam oblek at the table and a little Thai basil from the garden on top. It will become a regular at our house. Can you clarify one aspect please Jennifer - after adding the creams, I set the stove to low as directed, covered and waited for a simmer- this was taking way too long so eventually I set it back to medium and waited for the simmer before lowering the heat and simmering 2 minutes. Did I risk the cream curdling or something by using higher heat? Thanks!

      Reply
      • Jennifer says

        October 15, 2021 at 6:45 pm

        So glad you enjoyed it, Sue :) And yes, it's usually best not to heat too high after the cream goes in, but as long as you're watching it, you can nudge it up a bit.

        Reply
    3. Genevieve Waterhouse says

      September 20, 2021 at 7:21 pm

      Love this soup! Not sure if the recipe was edited a bit, but I remember needing lemongrass in it. Been making it for a while now. At least 5 years, as when I met my now husband, it was the first thing I cooked for him.

      Reply
      • Jennifer says

        September 20, 2021 at 7:34 pm

        So glad you are enjoying it, Genevieve and yes, I don't recall editing it, but I always add a little lemongrass paste myself :) Thanks!

        Reply
    4. Carol says

      January 22, 2021 at 8:00 am

      THis is the most amazing soup. I decided to skip the chili sauce and substituted white miso paste instead which I guess is not anywhere near the same but worked really well in it. Otherwise I followed recipe to a tee using all coconut milk so it is totally dairy free. I used canned chicken breast from Costco that I have had in my pantry and it is perfect for something like this.
      I had 2 bowls of it and called that my supper. I could not have been more happy with it.

      Reply
      • Jennifer says

        January 22, 2021 at 8:53 am

        So glad you enjoyed it, Carol :) Thanks so much!

        Reply
    5. Sue says

      January 13, 2021 at 7:14 pm

      Delicious, thanks Jennifer, we really enjoyed this. I used green curry paste because I had it on hand and otherwise didn’t make any changes. It was not at all too spicy for us, just very flavourful and warming. A perfect winter soup.

      Reply
      • Jennifer says

        January 13, 2021 at 7:17 pm

        Glad to hear, Sue :) Thanks so much!

        Reply
    6. Allyson Jeannotte says

      January 07, 2021 at 10:23 pm

      Could I do this in the instant pot!?

      Reply
      • Jennifer says

        January 08, 2021 at 9:13 am

        Hi Allyson, probably, but I don't have any more to offer than that, as I haven't done it myself.

        Reply
    7. Duane says

      January 03, 2021 at 7:36 pm

      5 stars
      I haven't been able to find Wicked Thai soup in years, and just stumbled upon this last night, and made it today. So true to the big soup makers version, but all the better when you see what goes into it. I went a bit beyond by making my own broth which definitely payed off, but did use some of the substitutions mentioned which I try not to do when using a recipe the first time, but fish sauce wasn't available not the proper hot sauce. Still turned out amazing. Only real deviation I made was adding extra coconut milk which I find really added to the aroma and flavor, and I served the soup with a small wedge of lime along with the coriander.

      Thank you so much for sharing, this will be my new cold day comfort food.

      Reply
      • Jennifer says

        January 04, 2021 at 11:38 am

        So glad you enjoyed it, Duane :) Thanks so much!

        Reply
    8. Anna says

      October 24, 2020 at 1:09 pm

      Can this soup be frozen? If so at what stage?

      Reply
      • Jennifer says

        October 25, 2020 at 11:35 am

        Hi Anna, I have never frozen it, but I don't think it would freeze well with the rice in it. When you thaw it, I think it would be very stew-like. You could perhaps freeze the base soup and add the rice later.

        Reply
    9. Cherry says

      August 28, 2020 at 3:04 am

      I’m a wimp when it comes to spicy level. Would green curry paste be ok instead of red curry paste so that it’s less spicy?

      Reply
      • Jennifer says

        August 28, 2020 at 10:01 am

        Hi Cherry, I find green curry paste to be spicier myself. You'd probably be happier with just a bit less of the red. Maybe put in half the specified amount. Taste and add more, if you like.

        Reply
    10. Shelley says

      February 06, 2020 at 6:21 pm

      Have you ever used all coconut milk to make it dairy free?

      Reply
      • Jennifer says

        February 06, 2020 at 6:23 pm

        I haven't Shelley, but I think it would be fine to use all coconut milk. A little more coconut-y, but no doubt still good :)

        Reply
    11. Jen says

      February 04, 2020 at 11:15 pm

      How important is the fish sauce? I can only find it in giant bottles and when you only use such a small amount I’m afraid the rest would get wasted or stay in my fridge forever

      Reply
      • Jennifer says

        February 05, 2020 at 9:13 am

        Hi Jen, it's not a deal breaker :) It adds a flavour note, but the soup will still be good without it.

        Reply
    12. Canadian Meg says

      January 05, 2020 at 4:15 pm

      5 stars
      Made a double batch of this today. Delicious. Don’t be afraid to add more veggies - makes the soup last longer. Followed recipe as is and it’s great. ‘Restaurant quality!’ - my husband

      Reply
      • Jennifer says

        January 06, 2020 at 9:01 am

        So glad you are enjoying it! Thanks so much :)

        Reply
    13. matt says

      October 30, 2019 at 7:32 pm

      5 stars
      This is really good! It reminds me of a similar soup from a coffee shop by my house.

      I added more thai curry and a little more sambal because I'm a bit of a heat-seeker. I also used re-constituted dried shiitakes that I blend up into a paste because I'm not a big fan of mushroom texture.

      Great soup! It doesn't last me very long at all!

      Reply
      • Jennifer says

        October 30, 2019 at 8:08 pm

        So glad you enjoyed it, Matt! Thanks so much :)

        Reply
    14. Judy says

      September 28, 2019 at 10:48 am

      Instead of rice could I sub cauliflower rice?

      Reply
      • Jennifer says

        September 28, 2019 at 11:11 am

        Hi Judy, First, I should say I have exactly zero experience with cauliflower rice, but I don't see why it wouldn't work. Again, no experience trying this, but I feel like you could cook it to tender in the soup or you could cook separately and add in at the end, similar to how the regular rice is added. And while the rice soaks up the broth in leftovers, I suspect the cauliflower would kind of melt into the soup, changing the texture of the leftovers accordingly. Hope that helps. If you try it, let me know how you did it and how it worked out :)

        Reply
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