Thai Coconut Shrimp Soup (Print Version)

Creamy Thai soup with shrimp, coconut milk, and red curry paste. Tangy, spicy, and savory in every bowl.

# What You'll Need:

→ Seafood

01 - 12 oz large raw shrimp, peeled and deveined

→ Aromatics & Vegetables

02 - 2 stalks lemongrass, trimmed and smashed
03 - 4 kaffir lime leaves, torn (optional)
04 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
05 - 1 small onion, thinly sliced
06 - 3.5 oz mushrooms, sliced
07 - 1 small red chili, sliced (optional)
08 - 1 thumb-sized piece fresh ginger or galangal, sliced

→ Broth

09 - 14 oz coconut milk
10 - 2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
11 - 2 tablespoons Thai red curry paste

→ Seasonings

12 - 2 tablespoons fish sauce
13 - 1 tablespoon lime juice, plus more to taste
14 - 1 teaspoon sugar

→ Garnish

15 - Fresh cilantro leaves
16 - Lime wedges
17 - Sliced green onions

# How to Make It:

01 - Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Sauté onion, garlic, lemongrass, ginger or galangal, and chili for 2-3 minutes until fragrant.
02 - Stir in Thai red curry paste and cook for 1 minute to release its full aroma.
03 - Pour in coconut milk and chicken or vegetable broth. Add kaffir lime leaves if using. Bring to a gentle simmer.
04 - Add mushrooms and simmer for 5 minutes until just tender.
05 - Add shrimp and cook for 2-3 minutes until pink and cooked through.
06 - Stir in fish sauce, sugar, and lime juice. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding more lime juice, fish sauce, or sugar as desired.
07 - Remove lemongrass, ginger or galangal, and lime leaves from the pot.
08 - Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with cilantro, green onions, and lime wedges.

# Additional Tips::

01 -
  • It comes together in under 40 minutes, so you can have restaurant-quality Thai soup on a weeknight without the stress.
  • The balance of creamy, spicy, and tangy feels indulgent but it's actually light and gluten-free, so you never feel weighed down.
  • Shrimp cooks so quickly that even if you're nervous about seafood, this builds real confidence in the kitchen.
02 -
  • Don't skip smashing the lemongrass and ginger—if you just toss them in whole, they sit there bitter and tough instead of diffusing their essence into the soup.
  • The fish sauce is non-negotiable if you want authentic flavor; I learned this the hard way by trying to skip it for squeamish dinner guests, and the soup just tasted flat and one-dimensional.
  • Taste constantly as you season, especially with the lime and fish sauce, because every brand is slightly different and your palm squeezing the lime will vary in juice content.
03 -
  • Toast your curry paste in the oil for a full minute before adding any liquid; this toasting step is the difference between a soup that tastes flat and one that tastes like it came from a market stall in Thailand.
  • Keep lime wedges at the table so people can adjust the brightness to their own taste—it's the finishing touch that makes everyone feel like they've customized their bowl.
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