Thai Coconut Shrimp Soup (Printable Version)

Creamy Thai soup with shrimp, coconut milk, red curry, lemongrass, and lime. Ready in 35 minutes. Dairy-free.

# 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
04 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
05 - 1 small onion, thinly sliced
06 - 3.5 oz mushrooms, sliced
07 - 1 small red chili, sliced
08 - 1 thumb-sized piece fresh ginger or galangal, sliced

→ Broth

09 - 14 fl 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 fresh lime juice
14 - 1 teaspoon sugar

→ Garnish

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

# Steps:

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 - Add Thai red curry paste and cook for 1 minute to release its aromatic compounds.
03 - Pour in coconut milk and chicken 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 with additional lime juice, fish sauce, or sugar as needed.
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.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It comes together in under 35 minutes, which means you can have restaurant-quality soup on the table faster than delivery arrives.
  • The flavors develop as you cook, building layers of spicy, tangy, and creamy that taste like you spent all day on it.
  • It's naturally dairy-free and gluten-free, so you're not sacrificing anything when you skip those ingredients.
02 -
  • Don't skip blooming the curry paste—those 60 seconds make the difference between a good soup and one that tastes like it came from someone who actually knows what they're doing.
  • Fish sauce is your friend, not your enemy—it won't make the soup taste fishy, it just deepens and rounds out every other flavor, so trust the recipe.
  • Taste before serving and be brave about adjusting—this soup is forgiving, and there's no shame in adding extra lime or a pinch more sugar if it needs it.
03 -
  • If your coconut milk looks separated with liquid on top, that's normal—just stir it back together before using, or use that thick part first for extra creaminess.
  • Make this soup the day before a dinner party and reheat it gently—the flavors actually develop and deepen overnight in a way that feels like magic.
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