Quick Look at this Easy Coconut Curry Shrimp Soup
- Ready In: 45 minutes!
- Serves: 8
- Main Ingredients: large shrimp, red curry paste, lime, coconut milk, bell peppers, mushrooms, potato, ginger, lemongrass, & rice noodles.
- Dietary Info: Gluten-Free and Dairy-Free
- Flavor-Profile: creamy, savory, bright with a little heat/spice.
- Best For: warm & cozy dinner on chilly winter nights (same vibes as my sweet potato chicken curry).
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What Makes This Coconut Curry Soup So Good
- A combination of warm curry flavors combined with a creamy coconut cream broth is a personal favorite!
- Perfect Texture – cooking the noodles in a separate pot prevents sogginess from soaking up all the broth.
- Customizable – adjust the amount of heat according to your spice level.
- Versatile – use any veggies you love, your favorite noodles, and swap the shrimp for chicken (see notes) if you prefer.
Key Ingredients + Substitutions
Be sure to see the recipe card below for a full listing of ingredients, instructions, and estimated nutritional information.
- Large Shrimp – highly recommend using large 16/20 raw shrimp for the best flavor. Thaw in cold water, remove shells, and then keep the tails on or remove before adding to the pot.
- Lime Juice + Lime Zest – fresh notes of acidity bring the perfect bright flavor and help to amplify all of the other flavors.
- Red Curry Paste – my personal favorite is Thai Kitchen Red Curry Paste (wonderful warmth without being too spicy), but feel free to use another that you prefer.
- Rice Noodles – love using thin rice noodles that are cooked in a separate pot for the best texture. They can be cooked right in the soup, but you may need to add more broth.
How To Make The Best Coconut Curry Shrimp Soup
Step 1 – Sauté the onion and garlic in melted butter.
Step 2 – Add the coconut milk, curry paste, lemongrass, ginger, and seasonings.
How Spicy is Coconut Curry Shrimp Soup?
This tends to be a personal preference. Personally, I love Thai Kitchen Red Curry Paste because I feel it has a warm heat without being spicy. Other curry pastes will have varying levels of spice. Highly recommend starting with a small amount and adding to your own preferred taste.
Step 3 – Add the fresh veggies and potato. Bring to a simmer and cook 10-15 minutes.
Step 4 – Add the shrimp and chopped basil to cook for a few minutes.
Step 5 – Cook the rice noodles separately and serve in a bowl together.
Erin’s Testing Tips: What We Learned
– Spice Level: start with a small amount of red curry paste (especially if using a different brand than Thai Kitchen). Taste and you can always add more to reach your desired spice level.
– Shrimp: do not overcook! They only need about 3-5 minutes to fully cook. Shrimp turn pink in color (no longer transluscent) and become a c-shape when they are done.
– Separate Noodles: I’m never a bit fan of cooking noodles right in the pot with a soup. They soak up too much broth and become mushy very quickly. Therefore, I HIGHLY recommend cooking (& storing) the noodles separately and then serve them together.
Best Ways to Serve Coconut Curry Soup
Every soup recipe is better with a little garnish on top and on this cozy soup we love fresh basil, green onions, and lime wedges for a freeze squeeze of lime juice. You could also bring up the spice level with some red pepper flakes. On the side, we love a slice of crusty bread, easy grilled bread, or big piece of buttered sourdough to help soak up all that delicious brothy goodness!
Coconut Curry Shrimp Soup FAQs
Yes, the frozen shrimp should be fully thawed (in cold water), shells removed (tails too, if desired), and then pat dry before adding to the pot.
You can, but the full fat version will give you the richest, creamiest texture. Light coconut milk will result in a thinner soup.
Yes, but shrimp tend to be best when eaten right away. Reheating can make them a little tough. Therefore, I would prep the base of the soup ahead of time, bring to a simmer, and then add the shrimp and fresh basil right before serving.
The soup base itself could be frozen, but I would not freeze the soup with the shrimp in it. Therefore, you could complete steps 1 and 2 of the recipe, let it cool, transfer to freezer-safe containers, and freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat on the stove top, bring to a simmer, and then finish cooking the rest of the recipe.
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Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter, sub extra virgin olive oil
- ½ sweet yellow onion, diced
- 3 teaspoons garlic, minced
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 2 cans full fat coconut milk
- 4 ounces + 2 tablespoons Thai Kitchen Red Curry Paste
- zest of 1 lime
- juice of ½ lime, more as-desired
- 1 bell pepper, cut into strips
- 1 russet potato, cubed
- 2 carrots, sliced
- 1 pint mushrooms, sliced
- 2 teaspoons lemongrass, grated
- 1-2 teaspoons chili garlic sauce
- 1 teaspoon ginger, grated
- 1 teaspoon fish sauce
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 pound large 16/20 raw shrimp, shelled & tails removed
- ¼ cup fresh basil, roughly chopped (more for serving)
- 8 ounces rice noodles, cooked al dente per package instructions
Topping Suggestions:
- fresh basil, chopped
- lime wedges
Instructions
- Sauté: Bring a large Dutch Oven to medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons butter and let melt; swirl to coat the pan. Add diced onion & 3 teaspoons garlic Move around the pan until garlic is fragrant and onion has softened, about 1-2 minutes.
- Simmer: Add 3 cups chicken broth, 2 cans full fat coconut milk, 4 ounces + 2 tablespoons Thai Kitchen Red Curry Paste, zest of 1 lime, juice of ½ lime, 1 bell pepper (sliced), 1 russet potato (cubed), 2 carrots (sliced), 1 pint mushrooms (sliced), 2 teaspoons lemongrass, 1-2 teaspoons chili garlic sauce, 1 teaspoon ginger, 1 teaspoon fish sauce, 1 teaspoon kosher salt and ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper. Stir to combine. Let simmer 10-15 minutes or until veggies are firm, but soft.
- Cook Shrimp: Add 1 pound large 16/20 raw shrimp and ¼ cup fresh basil (chopped). Stir and cover; let cook 3-5 minutes or until shrimp are fully cooked.
- Cook Noodles: Meanwhile, in a separate pot, cook 8 ounces rice noodles to al dente according to package instructions. Drain and rinse with cold water.
- Taste: Add any additional salt, lime juice or basil – as desired.
- Serve: Add rice noodles to a bowl and ladle the coconut curry soup over the top. Garnish with additional basil and lime wedges.
Notes
- Red Curry Paste: I used Thai Kitchen Red Curry Paste because it really doesn’t carry much heat with it – SO if you use another brand, I would recommend adding a little at a time so you can reach your desired flavor/heat level.
- Chicken: option to swap the shrimp for 1 pound of cubed boneless, skinless chicken breasts. I would actually cook the chicken first in some olive oil or butter (season with salt and pepper) until it is close to fully cooked (or use rotisserie chicken) and then transfer to a plate. Add it back to the pot in step 3 with the mushrooms.
- Shrimp: feel free to leave the tails on for more flavor OR remove them beforehand for easier eating – up to you! Just be sure not to over-cook!
- Rice Noodles: I like to cook my noodles separately – if you prefer to cook them in the soup, then go for it! Do what works best for you.
- Storage: store leftover soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Diana says
Delicious! This curry soup was extremely flavorful and perfect for the cold snowy night we had last night. I only used the 4oz jar of curry paste (different brand than Thai Kitchen) and it brought just the right amount of heat…any more would have been too much for us. There was a lot more prep than 10 mins (lots of chopping) for this slow cook, but I planned for that after reading through the recipe and it was worth it!
Margaret says
This dish was so great and very easy! I will probably omit the addition tablespoons of curry paste next time as it was a bit spicy. I did use another brand so it could’ve just been that.
Erin says
So glad you enjoyed this one, Margaret! And yes, totally, curry paste can vary so much between brands!