Thai red curry, coconut milk, fresh vegetables and delicious spices combine with chicken thighs and homemade chicken stock to make this rich and satisfying soup. There are a lot of ingredients in here and so it does take a good bit of prep time but it’s worth it. Plus, it makes a lot so you’ll have leftovers!
My first two times making this soup I used fewer vegetables and served it over buckwheat noodles. It was good but I prefer it without the noodles and with more veggies. You can try it either way!Like I said, lots of ingredients! And a lot of preparation. But I like cutting and chopping vegetables so it’s relaxing and therapeutic to me. 🙂
The first thing I like to do is separate the Swiss Chard leaves from the stems and roughly chop the leaves. Although the leaves don’t get added until later, it’s a task that takes some time so I don’t want to have too much going on and then have to focus on this. This way, it’s done first and out of the way.
I put oil, chopped onion and bell pepper, minced garlic and grated fresh ginger in the Dutch oven and heat until fragrant, about 5 minutes.
Simultaneously, I cooked the cubed chicken thighs in a pan until done and then set aside for later.
I added sliced jalapeno and cooked for a 2 minutes.
I then added the mushrooms and cooked until they were just starting to soften.
Then I added the Swiss Chard and cooked until the leaves were wilted and the mushrooms were cooked.
Now for the flavors! I put in 4 ounces of Thai red curry paste, more grated fresh ginger (I LOVE ginger and adding it in later ensures I get even more of that flavor in the finished product) and then mixed everything together.
Next up was the coconut milk, fish sauce, juice of one lime, chicken thighs and chicken stock. I stirred everything together, brought it to a boil and then simmered it, covered, for about 20 minutes.
Right before serving, I stirred in 1/3 cup chopped cilantro. I’ve also used Thai basil before – both are good so I suggest using whatever you like or whatever you can get at the store.
I served mine in shallow bowls and garnished with more fresh cilantro. You can also serve with lime wedges. If you decide to serve this over noodles, I recommend a deeper bowl, like a bowl for Vietnamese pho.
- 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cubed
- 1 bunch Swiss Chard, leaves removed from stems and roughly chopped
- 16 oz. sliced mushrooms
- 1 bell pepper, chopped
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 Tbsp minced garlic
- 1 thumb-sized piece of ginger, grated
- I jalapeno, sliced (optional)
- 4 ounces of thai curry paste (I used red, but panang and green are also options)
- Juice of one lime
- 1 Tbsp fish sauce
- 2 14.5-oz cans coconut milk (I used light coconut milk - either is fine)
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro (or Thai basil)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- In a pan, cook chicken until done then set aside
- In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat oil, green pepper, onion, garlic and 1/2 the ginger until fragrant and beginning to soften, about 5 minutes
- Add the sliced jalapeno and cook about 2 minutes more
- Add the mushrooms and cook until they just start to soften
- Stir in the Swish Chard and continue stirring occasionally until leaves are wilted and mushrooms are cooked
- Add the curry paste and the other 1/2 of the grated ginger. Mix to combine.
- Add the coconut milk, fish sauce, lime juice and chicken stock. Stir and bring to a boil.
- (Taste the soup at this stage )and add salt accordingly)
- Reduce heat to a simmer then add the chicken
- Cover and simmer 20 minutes, stirring occasionally
- Remove lid after 15 minutes and add in the chopped cilantro
- Serve in shallow bowls and garnish with additional fresh cilantro
- Enjoy!
- If serving over noodles, cook noodles according to package instructions, then place noodles in a deep bowl and ladle soup on top.
THIS WAS SO DELISH!!! (Even tho I forgot to buy red curry paste!) I substituted tabasco sauce & soy sauce. Derek & I added big ol’ shrimp, too 🙂
So glad you liked it. Shrimp is a great addition. 🙂