This delicious pork or chicken coconut curry soup can be made in under 30-minutes. It’s dairy and gluten free and out of this world good.
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Hey friends.
We’re a big fan of coconut curry dishes. This Taiwanese-style curry and this Massaman Curry being two favorites from the archives.
Today’s coconut curry soup is another big favorite around here and guess what? It’s dairy free, gluten free, AND can be made in under 30 minutes. Seriously, do you hear hallelujah’s right now?
Not only that, but the taste is out of this world good. Just the right amount of spice to be family friendly with plenty of flavor. Feel free to kick the spices up a notch if you like things spicy.
A few things to consider
You can use boneless, skinless chicken breasts, boneless chicken thighs, or cubed pork sirloin tip roast (comes in a two pack from Costco). All are great tasting options and I love the variety. Keep in mind that the pork may take just slightly longer to cook.
Not all curry powders are created equal. Use a curry powder that you love. We love the sweet curry powder from Penzey’s spices (totally unsponsored plug here btw). We use it for other recipes too. It’s really good. The brand of curry powder you use will totally make or break a curry, so buy a good one.
If you’ve never used fish sauce, it may seem like a weird ingredient, but adds a really good flavor to curry dishes. I use this Thai style fish sauce (Lucky brand). You could probably get away with leaving it out (just add a bit more salt), but I like the flavor it adds.
For the chicken broth I use 2 cup water + 1 teaspoon of this homemade chicken bouillon substitute that I use for everything – it’s amazing.
How to make this coconut curry soup
The recipe uses the meat tenderizing method I learned from my Taiwanese neighbor Emmy (in this Taiwanese-style curry).
First trim the fat off the meat and cut it into bite sized pieces. I like pieces right around 1-inch.
Next the meat is seasoned with a liquid marinade, which will rest together while you prepare the rest of the curry. This process is important because it tenderizes the meat and locks in the juices and flavor.
I like to cook the curry in a large dutch oven, but any large soup pan will work.
Heat oil in pot and then add the diced onions and peppers. Cook until vegetables are super tender.
Next stir in chicken broth and canned coconut milk and heat it to a boil.
Add marinated meat plus all of the juices and cook for 5 to 10 minutes or until meat is cooked through and no longer pink in the center. This step is always a lot faster than I think it’s going to be. Watch it close and don’t overcook the meat.
Add frozen peas, chopped cilantro, and additional salt, pepper, curry powder to taste, if needed.
And that’s it. Under 30-minutes from start to finish. Easy peasy.
I like to serve the curry in bowls over a scoop or two of hot, cooked rice. Heaven in a bowl.
Coconut Curry Soup
This delicious pork or chicken coconut curry soup can be made in under 30-minutes. It's dairy and gluten free and out of this world good.
Ingredients
Chicken or Pork Marinade:
- 1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken or pork see note
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- ½ tablespoon curry powder see note
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice about 1 medium lime
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce see note
For Curry Soup:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
- ½ cup diced yellow onion about ½ medium onion
- 2 cups low sodium chicken broth see note
- 1 14-ounce can coconut milk
- 1 cup frozen peas
- ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
For Serving:
- 4-5 cups hot, cooked rice
Instructions
Chicken or Pork Marinade:
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Trim fat from meat and cut into 1-inch pieces and place in medium bowl. Add brown sugar, curry powder, cayenne pepper, salt, black pepper, water, olive oil, fresh lime juice, and fish sauce. Toss to coat meat evenly. Refrigerate meat for at least 10 minutes to tenderize.
For Curry Soup:
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While meat is marinating add 1 tablespoon olive oil to a large dutch oven or saucepan and heat over medium high heat.
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Add chopped bell peppers and onions and saute for about 5 minutes until vegetables are tender.
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Stir in chicken broth and canned coconut milk. Heat to a boil.
-
Add marinated meat plus all of the juices and cook for 5 to 10 minutes or until meat is cooked through and no longer pink in the center.
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Add frozen peas, chopped cilantro, and additional salt, pepper, curry powder to taste, if needed. Serve over a scoop or two of hot, cooked rice.
Recipe Notes
1. This recipe can be made with boneless, skinless chicken breasts, boneless chicken thighs, or pork sirloin tip roast (that I buy in a two pack from Costco).
2. Not all curry powders are created equal — use a curry powder that you like the flavor of. We love the sweet curry powder from Penzey’s spices.
3. We’ve tried lots of brands of coconut milk and the Chaokoh brand is one of our favorites (we buy it at a local Asian market).
4. If you’ve never used fish sauce, it may seem like a weird ingredient, but adds a really good flavor to curry dishes. I use this Thai style fish sauce (Lucky brand). You could probably get away with leaving it out (just add a bit more salt) and this soup would still be really good, but I like the flavor it adds.
5. For the chicken broth I use 2 cup water + 1 teaspoon of this chicken bouillon substitute.
6. Variations: other vegetables could definitely be added to this soup – carrots, potatoes, corn, etc.
Recipe Source: Heather @ The Cook’s Treat
All images and text ©The Cook’s Treat
Disclaimer: post contains affiliate links for items on Amazon.
