Chicken Curry Soup is an Indian-spiced creamy chicken soup that’s comfort food with a spicy twist. This curried chicken soup is a hearty and flavorful dish that combines the best of both worlds. Whether you’re new to Indian flavors or a pro, this recipe is sure to please.
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This is one of my favorite soups and I think this chicken soup recipe will become a part of your regular meal rotation if you like Indian flavors.
The chicken coconut curry soup recipe is an aromatic blend of tender chicken, healthy spinach, creamy coconut milk, and fragrant spices, resulting in a satisfying meal.
Ashley says ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This is the number one request my husband has! We absolutely love it. Easy to follow recipe gets even better the next day. Thank you!
I don’t usually use curry powder because I prefer individual spices such as coriander, cumin, and turmeric. But I make an exception for this recipe.
I think you’ll agree that curry powder is the star of this delicious curried chicken soup recipe that I adapted from this Indian curry soup recipe.
If you want to try an authentic Indian recipe, give my Instant Pot chicken curry (based on my mom’s recipe) or Instant Pot chana masala a try. Or, if you want another Indian fusion recipe, try my Indian shepherd’s pie, a delicious comfort food with Indian flavors!
For some other soup recipes, Thai coconut curry soup, Instant Pot shrimp soup, Instant Pot Italian wedding soup, creamy chicken soup, and pork and hatch chile soup are all delicious! It’s not quite a soup; this Ethiopian lentil stew is awesome, too.
Ingredients and Tips
🧂 Ingredients for Curry Soup
💡 Ingredient and Recipe Tips
Here are some tips for getting the best results when making this chicken curry soup:
🧈 Butter: I use either butter or ghee for flavor, especially homemade ghee using my Instant Pot ghee recipe. For fewer calories, substitute with vegetable oil.
🌴 Coconut Oil: Use coconut oil for a stronger coconut flavor.
🌿 Fresh Spices: Fresh curry powder is essential for robust flavor. Toss any old spices, and avoid generic brands. I recommend McCormick, Spice Islands, or Simply Organic. Adjust salt based on the brand’s salt content. Increase the quantity for more intensity. Indian curry paste will also work.
🥥 Coconut Milk: I prefer full-fat coconut milk, like Aroy-D or Chaokoh. Some readers like Trader Joe’s brand. If you want a creamy alternative, use ½ cup of heavy cream as some recipes for mulligatawny soup.
🌶️ Spice Level: For heat, add more jalapeño or switch to serrano peppers, which offer consistent spiciness. Omit jalapeños for a milder soup.
🍅 Tomatoes: Canned diced tomatoes work great, but fresh tomatoes can also be used.
🍗 Chicken: I prefer boneless, skinless chicken thighs for tenderness, especially in the Instant Pot. Chicken breast is fine, too. You can use shredded rotisserie chicken; just add it after simmering the broth for 5 to 7 minutes on the stovetop or after pressure cooking. Adjust the salt accordingly.
🥦 Vegetables: Add more veggies like diced carrots, sweet potatoes, peas, and potatoes for added nutrition.
🕒 Make It Ahead: This creamy soup tastes even better the next day!
❓ FAQS
Add the tomatoes with the juices, there’s not need to drain.
Use tofu instead of chicken and vegetable broth instead of chicken broth to make this recipe vegetarian. Another option is to add some red lentils (which are quick-cooking) or canned chickpeas.
If you don’t like the taste of cilantro, you can omit it. You can also sprinkle some chopped parsley.
Add more coconut milk to the soup to make it less spicy. Start with a couple of tablespoons and add more to taste. Another option is to add diced potatoes to absorb some of the spiciness.
How to Make Coconut Curry Soup
♨️ Stovetop Method
- Saute onions, spices and chicken
- Add broth and tomatoes
- Simmer soup
- Add coconut milk and spinach
- Garnish with cilantro
- Heat a large pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Heat ghee, butter, or oil over medium heat. Stir in onion, garlic, ginger, and jalapenos, and saute the onion mixture until onions are light golden brown, about 5 minutes. Turn heat off and add curry powder, salt, and pepper. Stir till fragrant. If the spices are burning or the food is sticking to the bottom, deglaze with a small amount of chicken stock or broth.
- Add chicken.
- Saute chicken until chicken pieces begin to lose their pink color and start to brown.
- Stir in the tomatoes and add chicken broth. Let the soup come to a boil, lower heat and simmer for 10 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.
- Stir in the coconut milk. *
- Add spinach and simmer until spinach wilts and soup is heated through.
- Turn off heat and stir in cilantro.
- Serve this flavorful soup over rice or with crusty bread.
* If you want to make the soup thicker, feel free to mix together one tablespoon cornstarch and one tablespoon broth and add it to the simmering soup. Stir until thickened.
⏲️ Instant Pot Method
- Turn on Saute Mode.
- Saute onions, garlic, ginger, and jalapenos in ghee, butter, or oil.
- Press Cancel and saute curry powder, salt, pepper briefly.
- Be sure to deglaze.
- Saute chicken and stir in broth. Add the tomatoes, but don’t stir them in.
- Pressure cook and release pressure using natural release.
- Stir in Coconut milk and heat until the soup thickens.
- Add spinach, select Saute mode, and heat until spinach wilts and soup is heated through.
- Press Cancel and stir in cilantro.
See the recipe card below for detailed instructions.
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I’m Neena, and I’ve spent a lifetime perfecting the recipes I share. My years of practice have honed my skills, resulting in consistently delicious and easy meals. My experience (including hits and misses!) enables me to provide valuable insights, troubleshooting advice, and innovative recipe ideas. Every recipe is tested multiple times, so you can be sure it works the first time!
Coconut Chicken Curry Soup
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon ghee or butter
- 1 cup onion chopped
- 2 tablespoon garlic minced
- 2 tablespoon ginger finely chopped
- 1 jalapeno sliced (optional)
- 2 Tbsp curry powder
- 1 ½ teaspoon salt (or to taste) See Note 1
- 1 tsp black pepper powder
- 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs (1 kg) cut into 1 inch cubes
- 4 cups low sodium chicken broth low sodium
- 1 cup diced tomatoes canned or fresh
- 1 cup coconut milk preferably Aroy-D or Chaokoh brand
- 3 cups baby spinach chopped
- ¼ cup cilantro chopped
Instructions
Instant Pot Pressure Cooker Instructions
- Select Saute mode and allow the Instant Pot to heat up. Once the inner pot has heated up, add the butter or ghee.
- Once the ghee has heated up, add onions and saute until light golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add garlic, ginger, and jalapeno and cook mixture until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Press Cancel. The spices will cook in the residual heat.
- Add curry powder, salt and pepper and stir till fragrant, about 30 seconds [See Note 2]
- Add chicken and stir to coat with the spice mixture.
- Stir in ¼ cup of broth to deglaze. There should be no brown bits stuck to the bottom of the inner pot.
- Stir in remaining broth. Add the tomatoes, but don't stir.
- Close the Instant Pot lid and pressure cook on High Pressure for 5 minutes.
- Allow the pressure to release naturally (NPR). If you're pressed for time, after 10 to 15 minutes, release any remaining pressure. [Read More: The Different Pressure Release Methods]
- Press Cancel and open the Instant Pot.
- Stir in spinach and coconut milk.
- Cook soup in Saute mode until spinach wilts and soup is heated through.
- Stir in cilantro and serve soup in individual soup bowls over rice or with crusty bread.
Stovetop Instructions
- Heat butter or ghee in a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat.
- Add onion, garlic, ginger, and jalapeños to the pot. Saute for a couple of minutes or until the onion is lightly browned.
- Add curry powder, garlic and salt and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds to a minute.
- Stir in chicken broth, tomatoes, and chicken. Allow the soup to come to a boil and reduce heat to medium. Simmer for 10 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.
- Stir in the coconut milk and heat till the soup thickens. [See Note 3]
- Add the spinach and heat through till the spinach wilts.
- Garnish with cilantro.
Notes
- Prep time does not include steps that are already accounted for in the ingredient list, e.g. chopped onions, minced garlic, diced chicken, etc.
Nutrition
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I am not a certified nutritionist. I provide my best estimate of nutritional information merely as a courtesy to my readers. If you depend on nutritional information for dietary or health reasons, I suggest using your favorite online nutrition calculator to confirm the nutritional value of this recipe based on the actual ingredients that you use.
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Karen says
Excellent! Such a simple recipe in the Instant Pot with great flavour. I didn’t have any spinach so I used kale instead and simmered until kale was soft. Also Indian curry paste worked out great. Thank you for this recipe.
Neena Panicker says
Hi Karen, thanks for trying out the chicken curry soup. I’m happy to hear that you enjoyed it with your modifications!
Stephen says
Checking in again. I’ve been making this for four or five years now and it’s a total crowd pleaser. Matter of fact, I just won first place in a soup cook-off.
My favorite part is the recipe is so forgiving. It’s been a little different every time I make it but always so so good.
Thanks again for the inspiration!
Neena Panicker says
Stephen, wow that’s so awesome to hear – I feel very proud that you won 1st!! I’m glad that you’re able to customize the recipe and make it your own.
Dean says
I just tried this recipe tonight and it was phenomenal. Absolutely loved it!!!
I am now a fan of your recipes.
Neena Panicker says
Dean, thank you for your comment, I’m so glad you enjoyed the chicken curry soup recipe!
Lynn Allard says
Soooo much flavour
Neena Panicker says
Lynn, thank you for commenting and I’m glad you liked the chicken curry soup recipe.
April Martell says
Can I use curry paste instead of curry powder? We like the taste of the paste better.
Neena Panicker says
Hi April, yes Indian curry paste would work fine. If you’re making it in the Instant Pot, make sure that there’s nothing stuck on the bottom before you begin pressure cooking.
Enya says
This was so easy and came out absolutely delicious!! A warm and wonderful soup during our cold Canadian winters. I added in a few diced carrots and potatoes to make it a bit more hearty and they came out perfect. I’m so excited to add this to our list of easy weeknight dinners.
Neena Panicker says
Hi Enya, I’m so happy you enjoyed the coconut chicken curry soup! It’s a great idea to add extra veggies to make it more hearty.
Heidi says
I made this last night for dinner and it was delicious! I served it over rice. Perfect flavors, and Rob (in the band with your husband) loved it. Thank you for telling me about your website!
Neena Panicker says
So great to hear from you, Heidi! I’m glad you and Rob enjoyed the soup and hope you get to try out more recipes.
Chris says
Another great recipe! Thank you Neena. This was so tasty! Other than the time to cut up the chicken thighs (I think this is a me issue) this comes together fairly quickly for a delicious meal. Everyone at the table enjoyed-not always an easy feat to accomplish. I used a Serrano Chile and removed seeds and veins. I chopped up only because I didn’t read “sliced”. It ended up having good flavor and not too spicy for the heat adverse ones. Also added some cubed extra-firm tofu to please those who don’t like chicken. Served in bowl over rice.
Can’t wait to eat leftovers☺️.
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Chris, thank you for trying out the recipe and for taking the time to comment! I’m so glad to hear the chicken curry soup recipe worked for you. Here’s a possible shortcut for next time. Use whole boneless skinless chicken thighs, pressure cook for about 10 to 12 minutes to get it to shreddable stage with natural release, remove the the chicken pieces and shred and add back to the pot. A bit easier than cutting up the chicken.
Ambica says
Can you make this with out using chicken stock?
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Ambica, yes you can. Just keep an eye on the salt quantity.
Kati says
The entire family loved this soup! We spooned it over rice to make a hearty soup. This recipe is making it into our regular rotation.
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Thanks for taking the time to comment, Kati!
Ashley says
This is the number one request my husband has! We absolutely love it. Easy to follow recipe gets even better the next day. Thank you!
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Ashley, I’m so happy to hear that. I don’t know if I’ve ever had leftovers lol! But good to know that it tastes better the next day.
Purr says
What a great recipe so easy to follow and delicious!!!
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Purr, thank you for trying it out!
Maxine says
Should the diced tomatoes be drained of liquid before adding them?
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Maxine, sorry for the delay in replying. No, you don’t need to drain the tomatoes but keep the amount of liquid proportional to the tomatoes. You can drain them if you wish too 🙂
Dino says
Just found this recipe and can’t wait to make it. Before I do, I have a quick question… can I add lentils to this recipe? If so how much and do I need to adjust anything like cooking time, amt of liquid, etc? Please let me know. Thank u for ur time.
Neena Panicker says
Dino, sorry for the delayed reply due to the holidays! The timings will depend on the type of lentils. Brown and red lentils cook very quickly whereas green lentils take longer. If you want a “dal” style of soup, add the red lentils and keep the rest of the recipe the same. The soup will be fairly thick. If you want it more liquidy, add 1/4 cup more broth or water.
Julie McClellan says
Just delicious! It is restaurant quality.
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Thank you for the comment, Julie – I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Mike says
Looks good, but way too much chit chat filler. I want a recipe, not endless clickbait.
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Mike, right at the top of the post there’s a button that says “Jump to Recipe”. You can choose to go directly to the recipe card.
Alain Rostain says
Could you adjust the calories per serving listed to be accurate? 2 lbs. of skinless boneless chicken thighs is 1080 calories all by itself, so there is no way one portion could be 100 calories. It would be nice to know what the actual numbers are. Thanks!
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Alain, I am sorry for the inaccurate info – I don’t really know how I did that. I’ve recalculated the nutrition information. Thank you for pointing it out.
Alain Rostain says
I made this recipe using brown basmati rice and bone-in chicken thighs, with the cooking time adjusted to 24 minutes, as suggested. It came out great! It was easy to take out the bones, and the bones might have added even more flavor. Thank you!
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Thank you for sharing, Alain!
Alain Rostain says
Sorry, I meant to post the comment above under Arroz con Pollo! Whoops! Apologies.
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Lol, too funny! I was slightly puzzled but said, hey “whatever works” 🙂 Thank you so much for letting me know.
Alicia Pinder says
First time ever using my instant pot. I’m already in love!! Soup was absolutely amazing! Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Aww, thank you Alicia! I’m so glad you chose to make my recipe as your first one 🙂