Thai Soup with Chicken and Wild Rice

This Thai Soup is a comforting explosion of flavor for days!

This Thai Soup is one of the easiest Thai Soups you will ever make!  It is loaded with juicy chicken, wild rice. squash, sweet potatoes, and zucchini in a creamy red curry peanut butter coconut broth that is OUT OF THIS WORLD! This Thai Soup is hearty, warm, ultra comforting, healthy and gluten free!  It is an intoxicating blend of flavors and textures that will have you coming back for more and more and more.  You can customize the Thai Soup and use different vegetables and even and make it vegetarian by omitting the chicken.  No matter how you serve this Thai Coconut Soup, it is guaranteed to become a forever favorite!

 

Thai Soup

Thai Food is my absolute favorite cuisine!  I cook Thai Food all the time and celebrate with Thai food for every special occasion (birthdays, college graduation, lung transplant anniversaries, engagement celebration).

From Panang Curry, Pad Thai and Chicken Satay,Thai Food has my heart.  And my belly.  And now I couldn’t be more excited to introduce you to this easy Thai Soup!

It joins the ranks of my beloved Thai Noodle Soup, Tom Kha Gai and Curried Butternut Squash Soup as MUST MAKE Thai Soups this season!  So grab a kitchen mixing bowl and servings spoon to slurp up this comfortlicoius Thai Soup.  Or just commandeer the slow cooker.

Usually when I think Asian food, I don’t think “comfort” food.  But when I think Thai Coconut Chicken Wild Rice Soup, I think warm, hearty, creamy chicken and rice soup with layers of Asian flavors comfort food.  And all you have to do is add our ingredients to the slow cooker!

Although it might seem obvious “all you do is add our ingredients to the slow cooker,” I don’t want you to shy away from making this soup and cheat yourself out of palate pleasing bliss when you see the list of ingredients.  Its long, but the few extra touches take this soup from good to great, and all you do is add our ingredients to the slow cooker.

This Thai Coconut Chicken and Rice Soup is different than a lot of Thai Soups in that I based it off my Coconut Pumpkin Chicken Curry, and loaded it with plenty of veggies for more of a chicken, vegetable and rice soup.

This cast of characters gets seasoned with red curry paste, ginger, garlic, basil and cumin and then smothered in a bath of coconut milk and chicken broth to soak in until the veggies and rice are tender.  Then stir in some cornstarch to slightly thicken and nutty peanut butter and the coconut broth becomes luscious, flavor bursting red curry peanut butter coconut broth that perfectly cocoons the veggies, chicken and rice.

Ingredients for Thai Soup

Thai food is all about the balance of acidity, sweet and salty – and this soup has it in spades. You will need:

• chicken: you can use either chicken breasts or chicken thighs for this Thai Soup.  I tend to use chicken breasts because they are leaner and emerge wonderfully juicy in the slow cooker, but you are welcome to use chicken thighs as well.   You can also use shredded rotisserie chicken and add it to the soup at the end and warm through.
• wild rice:  Wild rice blend is the best kind of rice to use for soup. It boasts a nutty, toasted, earthiness and is super difficult to overcook and become mushy like other rices.  Instead, it remains fabulously al dente and even slightly chewy so it stores and reheats beautifully.  I use Lundberg Wild Blend Rice which is made of long grain brown rice, sweet brown rice, wild rice, whole grain wehani rice, whole grain black japonica rice.  You can find wild rice blends pre-packaged in a bag, box, or in the bulk bins at Sprouts.  If your wild rice package comes with a seasoning packet, you can discard that for our purposes.
• red curry paste:  red curry paste packs a huge flavor punch to this Thai Soup because its made of finely ground coriander, peppercorns, Kaffir lime leaves, lemongrass, galangal, lime leaves, cilantro, shallot, garlic, and fresh chiles – all combined for you.  Note that some curry brands are spicier than others.  If you are using a more mild brand like Thai Kitchen then I would start with ¼ cup curry paste.  If you are using a spicier brand like Mae Ploy, I would start with 2 tablespoons.  You can add more curry paste to taste once the soup is simmering or add sriracha to taste at the end of cooking.
• onion:  use yellow onion for its more pungent flavor
• ginger: adds a warm spicy, almost pepper taste.  You can add more or less ginger to taste.
• garlic:   You can use more or less garlic depending on your garlic love.
• vegetables:  You can swap out the veggies for your favs, but I went with zucchini, sweet potatoes, and squash.

• Granny Smith apple:  I also threw in a tart Granny Smith Apple which is common in Captain Curry Chicken and adds a subtle tartness that, along with a splash of lime juice, balances the nutty coconut with a little fresh, bright acidity.
• chicken broth:  make sure you use low sodium chicken broth so you can control the salt in the Thai Soup.
• coconut milk:  quality coconut milk is essential for maximum creaminess and flavor.  You may substitute lite coconut milk whisked with 2 tablespoons cornstarch, but it’s not nearly as flavorful.
• soy sauce:  use low sodium soy sauce so you can control the saltiness of the soup.
• fish sauce: I promise fish sauce will not be detectable or make your Thai Soup taste fishy – just don’t smell it!  It simply adds the balance of savory and salty flavor.   If you’ve never used fish sauce before, it can be found in the Asian section of any grocery store.  You may substitute fish sauce with soy sauce.
• brown sugar:  adds sweetness to balance the soy and lime juice.  You may need more or less brown sugar depending on personal preferences.
• lime juice:  awakens the entire Thai Soup.  We add it at the end so we get all the bright flavor.  You can also add more lime juice to your individual servings.  You may use fresh or bottled lime juice. Fresh is always best. I will freeze lime juice in cubes so I always have some on hand.
• sriracha:  Customize the heat of your Thai Soup with chili sauce to taste.  If you aren’t sure how much to add, you can start with less then stir in more at the end if needed.

How to Make Thai Soup

This Thai Soup is very easy to make!  I’ve included more detailed instructions in the post, but essentially:

• Add chicken to slow cooker, followed by vegetables coconut broth ingredients.
• Cook until chicken is tender enough to shred and rice is cooked.  Remove chicken and shred.
• Add a cornstarch slurry to the slow cooker along with peanut butter and lime juice and cook on HIGH until slightly thickened. 
• Taste and add additional salt, pepper, peanut butter, Sriracha as desired. If you would like a less “chunky” soup, stir in additional broth.

What Serve with Thai Soup?

This Thai Soup is a complete meal-in-one with protein, vegetables, carbohydrates and even fruit.  All it needs is garnish!  This Thai Soup is elevated by the addition of coconut flakes, fresh cilantro, crushed peanuts and freshly squeezed lime juice.

How do I Store Thai Soup?

The flavors of this Thai Soup are  even better the next day, making excellent leftovers.

Once your Thai Soup has cooled to room temperature, you can remove the pot from the slow cooker and put the whole insert (lid on) in the refrigerator.  You can also transfer your soup to an airtight container.  Plan on consuming within 3-4 days.

You also may want to add an extra squeeze of lime juice to reheated soup because the fresh lime taste will mellow.

HOW DO I REHEAT Thai Soup?

• Crockpot: To reheat your Thai Soup from the refrigerator, place your ceramic insert back into your crockpot and heat on low for 1-2 hours.
• Stove: transfer Thai Soup to a soup pot or sauce pan (depending on volume) and and heat over medium low heat, stirring occasionally until heated through.
• Microwave: transfer individual servings of coconut chicken soup to a microwave-safe dish, cover with a microwave-safe lid or paper towel.  Microwave for 2 minutes, stir, then continue to microwave for 30-second intervals, if needed.

CAN I MAKE THAI SOUP AHEAD?

You can completely assemble the Thai Soup the crockpot and refrigerate the ceramic insert for an easy, wake and cook dinner.  Just be aware you may need to add additional cooking time due to cooking from cold and additional broth.

You can also prepare just some of the ingredients ahead of time if you prefer:

Veggies:  you can pre-cut all your veggies the night before you plan on cooking your Slow Cooker Beef Stew and place them in an airtight container.

Sweet Potatoes:  Once you cut the potatoes, starch is released which will cause them to brown, so make sure you submerge them in water to prevent this discoloration. Simply place the potatoes in a bowl or airtight container, cover with water then cover with plastic wrap or a lid and refrigerate until ready to use.

Coconut Broth:  You can whisk together all of the ingredients that aren’t vegetables in Phase 1 tot make the coconut broth.  Store in an aright container in the refrigerator until ready to use.

CAN I FREEZE THAI  SOUP?

Unfortunately, I do not recommend freezing this Thai Soup.  Both rice and potatoes do not not freeze, thaw and reheat well.  You will be left with unpleasant, mushy, mealy textures.

So grab your mixing bowl and serving spoon.  Its comforting Thai Soup time!

Looking for more Thai Recipes?

• Red Curry Chicken
• Yellow Curry
• Thai Chicken Noodle Soup
• Tom Kha Gai
• Coconut Curry Chicken
• Thai Chicken Lettuce Wraps
• Thai Chicken Pizza
• Thai Pineapple Chicken Stir Fry
• Thai Orange Peanut Chicken
• Thai Peanut Dressing

Want to try this Thai Coconut Soup Recipe?

Pin it to your Soup, Thai or Crockpot Board to SAVE for later!

Find me on Pinterest for more great recipes!  I am always pinning :)!

©Carlsbad Cravings by CarlsbadCravings.com

Tools Used in This Recipe

PreviousNext

Crockpot

Shop Now >

Vegetable Chopper

Shop Now >

Teak Wood Cutting Board

Shop Now >

Kitchen Knife Set

Shop Now >

Measuring Cups and Spoons Set

Shop Now >

Meat Mallet

Shop Now >

See Favorite Tools

Slow Cooker Thai Soup with Chicken and Wild Rice

This Thai Soup is a comforting explosion of flavor for days! This Thai Soup is one of the easiest Thai Soups you will ever make! It is loaded with juicy chicken, wild rice. squash, sweet potatoes, and zucchini in a creamy red curry peanut butter coconut broth that is OUT OF THIS WORLD! This Thai Soup is hearty, warm, ultra comforting, healthy and gluten free! It is an intoxicating blend of flavors and textures that will have you coming back for more and more and more. You can customize the Thai Soup and use different vegetables and even and make it vegetarian by omitting the chicken. No matter how you serve this Thai Coconut Soup, it is guaranteed to become a forever favorite!

Servings: 6 servings

Total Time: 4 hours hrs 15 minutes mins

Prep Time: 15 minutes mins

Cook Time: 4 hours hrs

Save This Recipe To Your Recipe Box

You can now create an account on our site and save your favorite recipes all in one place!

Print RecipePin RecipeSave RecipeSaved!

Ingredients

PHASE 1

• 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts (2-3 breasts)
• 1 tablespoon olive/coconut oil
• 1 cup uncooked wild rice blend, rinsed and drained
• 1 cup butternut squash, peeled and cubed
• 1 small sweet potato, peeled and cubed
• 1 Granny Smith apple, peeled and cubed
• 1 small zucchini, sliced and quartered
• 1 onion, diced
• 2-4 tablespoons red curry paste see note
• 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons fish sauce
• 2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon dry basil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 2 14 oz. cans cans quality coconut milk
• 5 cups low sodiuim chicken broth

PHASE 2

• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 2-4 teaspoons sriracha/Asian chili sauce

Garnish

• crushed peanuts
• coconut flakes
• chopped cilantro
• lime juice

Instructions

• Rub chicken with oil and place in the bottom of a 6 qt slow cooker followed by all of the ingredients in Phase 1. Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low 6-7 hours, or until chicken is tender enough to shred and rice is cooked.
• Remove chicken and allow to rest 5 minutes before shredding or chopping if preferred.
• Meanwhile, whisk 1 tablespoon cornstarch with ¼ cup water and add to slow cooker. Stir in peanut butter and lime juice. Add chicken back to slow cooker and cook on HIGH for 15-20 minutes or until slightly thickened. Stir peanut butter until smooth.
• Taste and add additional salt, pepper, peanut butter, Sriracha as desired. If you would like a less “chunky” soup, stir in additional broth.
• Garnish individual servings with coconut flakes, fresh cilantro, crushed peanuts and freshly squeezed lime juice.

Notes

*Some curry brands are spicier than others.  If you are using a more mild brand like Thai Kitchen then I would start with ¼ cup red curry paste.  If you are using a spicier brand like Mae Ploy, I would start with 2 tablespoons.  You can add more curry paste to taste once the soup is simmering or add sriracha to taste at the end of cooking.

Want To Make This Recipe?

Follow Me On Pinterest!

Never Miss a Craving

Did You Make This Recipe?

Tag @CarlsbadCravings and Use #CarlsbadCravngs

Leave a Review, I Always Love Hearing From You!

Carlsbad Cravings Original

Slow Cooker Asian Sweet Chili Sesame Chicken