This Slow Cooker Thai Coconut Chicken Soup is a healthy and easy dump-and-go recipe with no precooking required! It's hearty enough for a meal and packed with wholesome and flavorful ingredients like coconut milk, chicken breast, fresh cilantro, lemongrass, ginger, and lime. It's also Weight Watchers friendly and Dairy-free.
This amazing soup is popular any time of the year. It was inspired by my Thai Chicken Noodle Salad on this site and pairs well with Bread Machine Italian Breadsticks or for a lighter side Everything Bagel Cloud Bread Recipe. My testers said this soup tasted just like the soup you get in Thai restaurants.
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If you love coconut chicken, be sure to try my Coconut Pumpkin Chicken too!
🥘Ingredient Notes
You will need the following ingredients for this Thai Chicken Soup Crock Pot recipe:
- Lemon Grass. Fresh lemongrass adds a bright, citrusy flavor to soup, along with subtle floral and grassy notes
- Crushed red pepper flakes. Crushed red pepper, also known as red pepper flakes, is a spice made from crushed red chili peppers, and it adds heat to this soup.
- Coconut milk. You can use light or regular (**See TOP TIP if using light coconut milk). If you use light coconut milk, it separates more than regular coconut milk, so you'll need to thicken it even more. Add about 2 teaspoon of tapioca starch (I use Minute tapioca). You can also skim off the separated milk bits with a small mesh strainer (affiliate link) or remove meat and vegetables and strain through a larger mesh strainer.
- Agave syrup. I use agave because it's a tasty sweetener, and you only need half the amount you'd need if you used honey. The consistency also works well in this soup.
- Thai red curry paste (affiliate link). Red curry paste is a flavorful base for Thai recipes. It typically includes dried red chilies, garlic, shallots, galangal, lemongrass, shrimp paste, and various spices like coriander, cumin, and peppercorns. The consistency works well with soup!
- Fish sauce. Fish sauce is a fundamental ingredient in Thai cuisine, including soups, because it provides a combination of salty and umami flavors that elevate the overall taste of the soup.
- Lime juice from concentrate/concentrated lime juice. I use lime juice from concentrate because it's economical and convenient, but you could use fresh lime juice. You'll just need double the amount.
*Please see recipe card for full list of ingredients and quantities
📖Variations & Substitutions
- Chicken- you can use chicken thighs or rotisserie chicken instead of chicken breasts
- Lemon grass- you can use dried lemongrass instead of fresh, or lime zest can be substituted
- Fish Sauce - if you don't have fish sauce or prefer not to use it, you can substitute soy sauce or tamari for a similar salty, umami flavor.
- Agave - you could use honey (you'll need 2 tsps) or 2 teaspoon of brown sugar instead
- Lime juice - you could use fresh lime juice, but you'll need double the amount
- Ad-ins - you can add brown rice, a wild rice blend, white rice, or noodles. You could also add additional vegetables like broccoli or shredded carrrots
- Instant pot - you can make this soup in your instant pot - here's how to convert your recipe from a slow cooker to an instant pot
🔪How to Make Crock Pot Thai Coconut Chicken Soup
If you don't like precooking with your slow cooker, you will love this one because there is none!
Add all ingredients (except cornstarch and water) to slow cooker
Stir until combined (and curry paste is completely dissolved)
Cook on the low setting for 5.5 hours.
Add cornstarch mixed with water and cook on low heat for another 30 minutes or until it reaches the desired thickness. *You can also add additional cornstarch mixed with water if it's not thick enough
Expert Recipe Tips
- Use regular coconut milk for the creamiest texture. Light coconut milk works, but it tends to separate more. If you prefer using light, add 1-2 teaspoons of tapioca starch or cornstarch to help stabilize and thicken the soup.
- Dissolve the curry paste completely before cooking. Stir well to ensure the red curry paste is fully mixed into the broth so the flavor distributes evenly.
- Adjust spice levels to taste. Start with the recommended amount of red curry paste and crushed red pepper flakes, then taste before serving. Add more if you prefer extra heat.
- Smash the lemongrass for maximum flavor. Lightly bruise the lemongrass stalks with the back of a knife before adding them to release more of their citrusy aroma.
- Add fresh herbs at the end. Stir in cilantro and green onions just before serving to keep their flavors bright and fresh.
- For a richer broth, use chicken thighs. Boneless, skinless chicken thighs stay extra juicy and add a bit more depth of flavor compared to chicken breasts.
- Want a heartier meal? Add cooked rice, rice noodles, or extra veggies like broccoli or shredded carrots during the last hour of cooking.
- Make it ahead for better flavor. Like many soups, the flavors develop even more after sitting overnight. It's great for meal prep!
- Reheat gently. When reheating, do so over low heat and stir frequently to prevent the coconut milk from separating.
🥗 What to Serve with Thai Chicken Soup
This Slow Cooker Thai coconut chicken soup pairs well with bread and/or salad. If I want to keep it lighter, I'll have it with this Strawberry, Spinach, and Pecan salad or Mandarin Orange Salad.
It also pairs well with this Onion and Olive Bread Machine Recipe (shown below).
🌡️Storage
Store this Thai soup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. It can also be frozen for up to 3 months.
👪 Serving Size
This delicious soup recipe makes 10 (about 1 ¼ cups each) servings. However, you can half, double, or triple the recipe by clicking on the serving number and selecting the number of servings you'd like. The ingredient quantities will automatically adjust.
🔢WW Points
This Crockpot Thai Coconut Chicken Soup is Weight Watchers friendly @ ww 5 points using regular coconut milk. When light coconut milk is used, it's 2 ww points. However, keep in mind that when I tested the light coconut milk, it separated a lot more than the regular coconut milk. You can use tapioca starch (I use Minute Tapioca) to thicken it a bit more. You can also skim off the separated milk bits with a small mesh strainer (or remove meat and vegetable and strain through a larger mesh strainer).
❔ Recipe FAQ's
No, you don't have to brown the chicken, but searing it does help to seal in the juices.
Yes, raw chicken can go in the slow cooker, as it cooks long enough to cook it thoroughly.
Brown rice, wild rice, rice noodles, or extra vegetables like broccoli, spinach, or shredded carrots are great additions to make the soup more filling.
If your soup is thinner than you like, mix an extra tablespoon of cornstarch with a tablespoon of cold water and stir it into the soup. Let it cook for another 10-15 minutes until it thickens to your liking.
This Slow Cooker Thai Chicken Soup with coconut milk is an easy weeknight meal. Just put it all in the slow cooker in the morning and come home to a delicious meal. If you love Thai food, it's bound to become one of your favorite soups!
🥣More Soup Recipes
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📋 Crock Pot Thai Coconut Chicken Soup recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 6 skinless chicken breast
- 1 red pepper
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 2 teaspoon garlic
- 3 stalks lemongrass
- 1-2 teaspoon grated gingerroot
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 cups sliced mushrooms
- 14 oz can coconut milk * You can use regular or light, but see TOP TIP if using light
- 1 teaspoon agave
- 4 tablespoon red curry paste
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- ¼ cup chopped green onions
- 2 tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped
- 3 tablespoon lime juice ( from concentrate ) * you could use fresh lime juice, but you'll need double the amount
- 4 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 2-3 tablespoon of cold water to make a paste
Garnish (optional)
- additional cilantro leaves
- lime wedges
- additional crushed red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Add all ingredients (except cornstarch and water to slow cooker)6 skinless chicken breast, 1 red pepper, 6 cups chicken broth, 2 teaspoon garlic, 3 stalks lemongrass, 1-2 teaspoon grated gingerroot, ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, 2 cups sliced mushrooms, 14 oz can coconut milk, 1 teaspoon agave, 4 tablespoon red curry paste, 1 tablespoon fish sauce, ¼ cup chopped green onions, 2 tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped
- Stir until combined (and curry paste is completely dissolved)3 tablespoon lime juice ( from concentrate )
- Cook on low for 5.5 hours.
- Add cornstarch mixed with water and cook for another 30 minutes or until reaches desired thickness.4 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 2-3 tablespoon of cold water to make a paste
Garnish
- Garnish with cilantro, lime wedges and crushed red pepper, if desiredadditional cilantro leaves, lime wedges, additional crushed red pepper flakes
Notes
-
- Chicken- you can use chicken thighs or rotisserie chicken instead of chicken breasts
-
- Lemon grass- you can use dried lemongrass instead of fresh, or lime zest can be substituted
-
- Fish Sauce - if you don't have fish sauce or prefer not to use it, you can substitute soy sauce or tamari for a similar salty, umami flavor.
-
- Agave - you could use honey (you'll need 2 tsps) or 2 teaspoon of brown sugar instead
-
- Lime juice - you could use fresh lime juice, but you'll need double the amount
-
- Ad-ins - you can add brown rice, a wild rice blend, white rice, or noodles. You could also add additional vegetables like broccoli or shredded carrrots
-
- Instant pot - you can make this soup in your instant pot - here's how to convert your recipe from a slow cooker to an instant pot
Terri Gilson
This Slow Cooker Thai Chicken Soup is a lifesaver for busy weeknights. I love how I can just toss everything in the slow cooker in the morning and come home to a restaurant-quality meal. The combination of coconut milk, lemongrass, ginger, and lime gives it such an authentic Thai flavor, and it's so satisfying to know it's both delicious and Weight Watchers friendly!