Chicken Curry Soup is an Indian curry-flavored creamy chicken soup that’s going to have everyone going back for seconds. Serve this curried chicken soup with crusty bread or over rice. If you’re a fan of chicken mulligatawny soup, this soup is very similar. [Instant Pot and Stovetop instructions included.]
[This post was completely updated in March 2021 with clear instructions and new images.]
Table of Contents
Introduction
This is one of my favorite soups. This chicken curry soup is going to be a part of your regular meal rotation if you like the flavor of curry and are looking for a hearty and satisfying curry soup recipe.
This curry chicken soup recipe contains an ingredient that I don’t use very often: curry powder. Confession time: I once was a curry powder snob, as in “no one who cooks authentic Indian food would EVER use curry powder!”
But that was before I tried it out in this curry soup, and I realized that there are definitely occasions when curry powder is a great option.
Most Indian cooks don’t use curry powder in their cooking, but rather use individual spice flavorings (like coriander, cumin, turmeric, garam masala) or prepared spice mixes (available at Indian grocery stores) that are specifically tailored for each dish.
Curry powder was invented back when India was a British colony and the British prepared it as a spice mix to duplicate the intricate flavorings they liked in Indian cuisine. There are many different brands of curry powder, and you can find one that suits your tastes.
I think you’ll agree with me that curry powder is the star of this delicious curry soup recipe!
Here are some Soup Recipes you might enjoy:
– Thai Coconut Curry Soup Recipe
– Chipotle Shrimp Soup
– Italian Wedding Soup
– Pork and Hatch Chile Soup
Tips and Substitutions
Butter
I tend to use either butter or ghee in this recipe. I love the flavors, especially that of homemade ghee. If you wish to avoid the calories, feel free to use vegetable oil instead.
Curry Powder
I’ve tried McCormick, Spice Islands, and Simply Organic curry powder in this chicken soup curry recipe and all have worked out great. If you’re using another brand, check the ingredients for salt and adjust the quantity of added salt in this recipe.
The amount of curry powder called for in this recipe can be increased if you want a stronger flavor. If your curry powder has been sitting in your cupboard for a long time, do yourself a favor and get a fresh new bottle; you’ll be glad you did!
Coconut Milk
I use full-fat coconut milk. I find some coconut milk brands don’t do well during pressure cooking, including some brands that are widely available at grocery stores. My two favorite brands are Aroy-D and Chaokoh. Some readers recommend Trader Joe’s brand coconut milk.
If you’re not a fan of coconut milk, substitute with 1/2 cup of heavy cream for this curry chicken soup. Many recipes for mulligatawny soup use heavy cream.
Spiciness
If you like things spicy, you can add some more jalapeno. Or here’s a tip: I frequently use serrano chili peppers instead of jalapenos because they have more heat, and I find their spice to be more consistent.
Some jalapeno peppers can be really hot while others can be milder. And if you don’t like a lot of spice, you can omit the jalapeno.
Tomatoes
I find that canned diced tomatoes work great in this Indian curry soup recipe, but I do use fresh diced tomatoes on occasion.
Chicken
I always prefer to use chicken thighs over chicken breast, especially because the Instant Pot cooks them so well. If you’re a fan of chicken breast and wish to use it instead, feel free to do so.
If you’re new to the Instant Pot and aren’t familiar with how to use it, you might find it helpful to first read one of the following guides and then come back here to learn how to make this recipe.
- Instant Pot DUO Beginner’s Manual
- Instant Pot ULTRA Beginner’s Manual
- Instant Pot DUO EVO PLUS Beginner’s Manual
- Instant Pot DUO NOVA Beginner’s Manual
- Instant Pot DUO GOURMET Beginner’s Manual
- Instant Pot DUO CRISP Beginner’s Manual
- Instant Pot PRO Beginner’s Manual
Curried Chicken Soup – Ingredients
- Chicken
- Onion
- Tomato
- Spinach
- Jalapeno
- Salt
- Garlic
- Curry powder
- Ginger
- Chicken broth
- Butter
- Black pepper
- Coconut milk
More details in the recipe card at the bottom of this post
How to Make Chicken Curry Soup in the Instant Pot (Step by Step Instructions)
- Turn on Saute Mode.
- Saute onion mixture.
- Saute spices and deglaze.
- Saute chicken and add broth.
- Pressure cook.
- Release pressure.
- Stir in coconut milk.
- Sprinkle with cilantro.
How to Turn on Saute Mode
- Instant Pot DUO: Select the Saute function.
- Instant Pot ULTRA: Select the Saute function and press Start.
Saute Onion Mixture
- Once Instant Pot has heated up, melt butter or ghee in the inner pot.
- Stir in onion, garlic, ginger, and jalapenos, and saute the onion mixture until onions are light golden brown, about 5 minutes.
- Press Cancel. The spices will cook in the residual heat.
Saute Spices and Deglaze
- Add curry powder, salt, and pepper; stir till fragrant.
- Deglaze with a small amount of broth if you find that the spices are burning or food is sticking to the bottom.
Saute Chicken and Add Broth
- Add the chicken and stir to coat with the onion spice mixture.
- Deglaze with a small amount of broth and scrape up all the brown bits.
- Stir in remaining broth.
- Add the tomatoes but don’t stir.
Instant Pot Duo Pressure Cook 5 minutes
- Close the lid and make sure steam release handle is in Sealing position
- Press Manual (or Pressure Cook) and + or – until the display reads ‘5′ (5 minutes).
Instant Pot Ultra Pressure Cook 5 minutes
- Close the lid.
- Select Pressure Cook mode and adjust the time to 5 minutes (00:05).
- Press Start.
Pressure Cooking Process (Duo and Ultra)
- Instant Pot display will change to On.
- Once the Instant Pot is pressurized, the float valve will go up.
- The display will count down to 0; it will then switch to Keep Warm mode and display ‘L0:00’ or ’00 00′ and begin to count up the number of minutes since pressure cooking completed.
How to Naturally Release Pressure (NPR) on the DUO and ULTRA
- Allow the pressure to release naturally (NPR). The float valve will be in the down position. This may take 15 to 30 minutes. [Find out more about the pressure release methods and how and when to use them. ]
- Press Cancel and open the Instant Pot.
Stir in Coconut Milk, Spinach and Cilantro
- Stir in Coconut milk and spinach.
- Select Saute mode and heat until spinach wilts and soup is heated through.
- Press Cancel and stir in cilantro.
- Serve soup in individual soup bowls over Instant Pot Rice or with crusty bread.
Stovetop Directions for Chicken Curry Soup
To make this recipe on the stovetop:
- Saute onion, garlic, ginger, and green chilis.
- Saute curry powder.
- Stir in broth, tomatoes, and chicken.
- Simmer until the chicken is cooked through.
- Stir in spinach and coconut milk and heat through.
- Garnish with cilantro.
See the recipe card below for detailed instructions.
Coconut Chicken Curry Soup
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp ghee or butter
- 1 cup onion chopped
- 2 Tbsp garlic minced
- 2 Tbsp ginger finely chopped
- 1 jalapeno sliced (optional)
- 2 Tbsp curry powder
- 1 1/2 tsp salt (or to taste) *
- 1 tsp black pepper powder
- 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs cut into 1 inch cubes
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup diced tomatoes canned or fresh
- 1 cup coconut milk preferably Aroy-D or Chaokoh brand
- 3 cups baby spinach chopped
- 1/4 cup cilantro chopped
VIDEO
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**
- Add chicken and stir to coat with the spice mixture.
- Stir in 1/4 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. Bring 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.
- 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.
- See the blog post for more detailed recipe tips.
Nutrition
Thank you for visiting Paint the Kitchen Red. All photos and content are copyright protected. Please don’t use any content without prior written permission. If you’ve made this recipe and would like to share it with your friends, please link back to this recipe. Thank you!
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.
If you loved this recipe, please give it a five ⭐ rating in the comment section below and please share it on social media using the social media share buttons at the top and bottom of this post. Thank you so much!
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Bobbi
I substituted extra-firm tofu for chicken in this recipe and it was delicious! So easy and the perfect comfort food for a rainy day. Very happy with how it turned out.
Paint the Kitchen Red
Thanks for commenting, Bobbi – I’m glad you were able to sub tofu for chicken.
Suzanne
My brother told me about this soup. This is one of the best recipes I’ve ever found out about. Absolutely delicious. Contest-winner. This will be going in my regular rotation. Easy and amazing! THANK YOU!
Paint the Kitchen Red
Thanks, Suzanne! I’m so glad he shared it with you. If you’re a fan of shrimp, you might like the chipotle shrimp soup too.
Sunny Drohan
Quick question:
What is black pepper powder? Is it peppercorns which hv b ground Tom powder?
Bought the Aroyal Coconut milk from Amazon.
Paint the Kitchen Red
Hi there Sunny, thanks for your question. Yes it’s just ground black pepper, freshly ground or pre-ground. Hope you like the recipe.
Sunny Drohan
Thanks. Will let you know after I make it, maybe next week.
Sunny D.
D. NIK
Thanks for the very well-thought-out web instructions and recipe. I assume the recipe is for 6 0r 8 QT size.
Paint the Kitchen Red
You can use either size. I mostly use a 6 quart for my recipes, but soups, in particular, can be made in the 8 quart without modifications.
Cynthia Blanchard
This was so yummy and delicious. Thank you for posting.
Paint the Kitchen Red
Cynthia, I’m thrilled that you loved the recipe because it’s one of my favorites!
Brenda
I loved this soup, despite the fact that i did not have cilantro. I added some red peppers, and used some almond/coconut cream. Plus instead of jalepenos, i used some hot sauce. It came out awesome!
Paint the Kitchen Red
Brenda, I’m so glad you liked the recipe and made it your own!
Mullo
Easily 5 stars!! This recipe is magnificent. My wife and I each had 2 bowls and she asked me to make a double batch again tomorrow haha. 👍🏻👍🏻 Thank you for the amazing recipe!!
Paint the Kitchen Red
Thank you! I’m so glad to hear you like the recipe as much as we do 🙂
Mullo
Thank you!! I made with one large diced to ato the first batch and canned the second batch. The fresh tomato batch was better so just a note if you or anyone wishes to try that way. ❤️
Paint the Kitchen Red
Mullo, thank you so much for giving that feedback. Fresh is always better in my opinion, but I don’t always have them on hand 🙂
Cheryl
Love this recipe. You do a great job of giving helpful directions and information. So yummy
Heidi McMaster
If I was going to add extra veggies (ie, carrots, mushrooms, peppers), should I saute them with the onion before pressure cooking with the chicken, or add them after?
Paint the Kitchen Red
Heidi, you don’t need to saute the vegetables with the onions. You can add them in with the chicken if they’re slower-cooking (they will be well-done) or add them in after pressure cooking and cook on saute mode if they’re fast-cooking and/or you prefer the veggies to be more chewy/al dente.
Suzy
This was delicious. One question, do you think the left overs could be frozen. Questionable. I made it for myself and have lots left. I’ll try to cut it in half next time! Thanks!
Paint the Kitchen Red
Hi Suzy, thanks for your comment and good question. I don’t think I’ve ever frozen this recipe but I do freeze curries with coconut milk and they’re fine. I’d give it a shot.
Nancy
I am new to the instant pot and although my soup looks somewhat different from yours it’s much darker in color, the taste is great. I will definitely be making it again.
Paint the Kitchen Red
Nancy, it’s probably the type of curry powder that made your soup darker. I’m glad the taste was good though 🙂 Thank you for taking a moment to comment and rate the recipe!
Judy
Will be making it this week! Thanks
Kate
I have been making this soup for almost a year now! I absolutely love it. I sometimes add diced carrots or potatoes if I am low on chicken. We like to meal prep this for busy weeks, especially during the wintertime, it’s like a warm hug. We leave out the spinach when we first make it then add it fresh after reheating it throughout the week!
Paint the Kitchen Red
Wow, that’s so great to hear, Kate! I love love this soup too! Thanks for sharing the tip about freezing it.
Tita C
Family loves this recipe. In have made this multiple times and recently used cooked rotisserie chicken in place of raw chicken out of convenience and it was just as good as the written recipe. This is in the rotation and one of my five year old’s faves.
Paint the Kitchen Red
Hi Tita, I’m always most excited to hear about kids enjoying the recipes 🙂
Ginger Taylor
I made this soup tonight and everyone loved it. It is a keeper! Thanks for the recipe!
Paint the Kitchen Red
I made it last night with extra veggies! But what do you know – I didn’t have any coconut milk, which is weird because I ALWAYS have it on hand. Used powdered coconut milk, stirred into some broth and added to the soup. Worked out pretty well.
Jennifer Brannen
So delicious. I’m a low fodmap eater, so I skipped the onion and garlic. I also wanted some carbs and for it it to be a little thicker, so I added mung beans, zuchinni and carrots. It was still soup consistency but so yummy that I had to stop myself from eating 3 servings in 1 : )
Paint the Kitchen Red
Jennifer, I’m so happy to hear that you liked the recipe as much as I do! Thanks for your comment 🙂
Adrienne Michalek
Great recipe! Easy to follow and the outcome was so delicious. We devoured it. Thank you!
Paint the Kitchen Red
Thanks Adrienne! I’m really glad you like the recipe. One of my favorite recipes to make, period!
ika
this turned out great but wish you would have recipe on top vs step by step that are becoming irrelevant with all these different pressure cooker on the market. I imagine it takes long time to put that together but for us with Ninja foodi we just need the recipe 🙂 thank you for your effort though
Paint the Kitchen Red
I completely understand your perspective, and for that reason I have a “Go directly to Recipe” button after the tips but before the step by steps. I can’t put that button higher because I really want people to read the tips. The step by steps are useful for the newbies 🙂
Paint the Kitchen Red
Just an update: I now have a table of contents close to the top, to allow you to go directly to the recipe card.
Glenn Hurd
So I made this recipe twice now and each time it’s turned out perfect I like a little bit more curry powder in mine and little bit more garlic but the basic recipe is standalone good thanks for sharing this with us I used to buy the soup from a store downtown everyday for lunch and now I can make a batch in my instant pot and it last me two weeks
Paint the Kitchen Red
Thanks for your comment, Glenn! I love it when people use my recipes to cook at home rather than eat out!
Steve
Hi Neena,
Checking in again, just wanted you to know I really love this recipe! If any of my friends get instant pots I recommend this. I’ve been going pretty willy nilly with it and just tossing in whatever is in my fridge or cupboard: carrots, mushrooms, squash, garbanzos, broccoli, cauliflower, and the last time I used panang instead of curry powder. So versatile.
Thank you!
Paint the Kitchen Red
Steve – Awesome, thank you so much! I can see how a Thai curry paste would work well with this recipe too. Glad to hear you’re changing it up to suit your tastes.
Misty Allen
Can I make this recipe with chicken breasts instead of thighs or would it compromise the flavor?
Paint the Kitchen Red
Misty, I generally don’t like to pressure cook chicken breasts but because these pieces are cut small and the cook time is short, I think you’ll have good results. Enjoy!