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Super Simple Thai Green Curry

An easy and delicious Thai soup that is packed with nutrition!
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time1 hour 45 minutes
0 minutes
Total Time1 hour 15 minutes
Course: Main Course, Soup
Cuisine: Asian, Thai
Keyword: curry, dairy free, gluten free, meal prep, paleo, soup, whole30
Servings: 4

Ingredients

  • 1 can Full-fat coconut milk
  • 4 c Chicken bone broth (See note)
  • 2 tbsp Butter, ghee, olive oil, coconut oil or avocado oil
  • 1 tbsp Thai Kitchen Green Curry Paste
  • 2 tsp Coconut aminos (or soy sauce)
  • 1 tbsp Fish sauce
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 1/3 can Canned bamboo shoots, drained (you can use the whole can if you're okay with more bamboo shoots)
  • 1 Zucchini, sliced and quartered (I leave the skin on)
  • 1/3 lb Mushrooms, sliced (I usually buy Shitaake, but you can use cremini, white button or a combination of your favorites)
  • 1 Green bell pepper, sliced or chopped
  • 1 tsp Grated ginger root (omit if needed)
  • 2 Jalapeno peppers, sliced or chopped (seed them if you don't like a lot of heat, if you like heat, you might use more peppers or use a hotter pepper like serranos)
  • 1 lb Boneless, skinless chicken thighs (you can use chicken breasts if you prefer, but thighs have more flavor, are more tender and have a better nutritional profile!)
  • A handful of Thai basil (optional) (regular basil can be substituted, or leave out if desired)*

Optional Toppings

  • Fresh lime juice
  • Cilantro
  • Green onion / Scallion
  • Crushed peanuts
  • Fresh jalapeno slices

Instructions

Preparing the Chicken (choose the option that best fits your needs)

  • Stovetop: Dice the thighs into chunks and saute in a little oil or butter until nicely seared on all sides, then continue with step 2, leaving the chicken in the same pan while you add more oil if needed, followed by the curry paste and other ingredients.
  • Instant Pot: high pressure for 8 minutes, natural release for 20 minutes, then shred with forks, with your stand mixer (paddle attachment), or with a hand mixer.
  • Boiled: bring water to a boil, place thighs in water and boil for 10 minutes. Remove from water and let cool for a few minutes, then shred with forks, with your stand mixer (paddle attachment) or with a hand mixer.

Making the Curry

  • Pour a little oil or butter into a stockpot or large Dutch oven. Heat over medium to medium high heat. Once hot, add the curry paste, ginger and jalapeno slices. Use a spatula to help it disperse in the oil until fragrant.
  • Add the sliced mushrooms, bell peppers and zucchini. Mix to allow the oil and curry mixtures to coat as best as possible. If the pan seems too hot like it will burn the mushrooms, turn the heat down slightly. Cover your pot and allow to cook for a few minutes before stirring the mixture. Repeat until the vegetables begin to soften. If the mushrooms or zucchini are sticking to the bottom, scrape them with your spatula and turn your heat down slightly. The zucchini will release water and your mixture will become more "liquidy."
  • Once the veggies have softened, add the coconut milk. Bring the mixture to a simmer.
  • Add the coconut aminos (or soy sauce), fish sauce and salt.
  • Pour in the chicken broth and add the bamboo shoots. Bring to a simmer again.
  • Taste and adjust things as needed - more salt if desired, curry paste, etc.
  • Stir in the Thai basil.
  • At this point, your soup is ready to enjoy or allow to cool if prepping for future meals. Enjoy - let me know if you try it!

Notes

*Chicken broth - to add nutritional value, I make my own bone broth. I’ve used both chicken and beef broth, depending on what bones I have on hand. I make a full Instant Pot of bone broth and triple the other ingredients in the list to make a huge batch at once. If you want to make your own broth, there are plenty of recipes online, but we’ll also share our recipe soon. The difference in taste and mouthfeel between store-bought and homemade bone broth is noticeable - homemade is so much better! If you want to try making your own, check out our super easy recipe here.
*Basil - Thai basil is traditionally used in green curry, but I am rarely able to get Thai basil or even regular basil at the time I’m making this soup so I just omit it. Last summer, I grew a pot of Thai basil just so I could regularly have it on hand for my curry!
*Variations - as I said above, I am very free-flowing with this recipe. I use up what I have in the fridge and I also add lots more veggies to up the nutrient factor. Here is a list of changes I sometimes make:
  • Using a combination of bell peppers (green, red, yellow, orange)
  • Using more zucchini
  • Using more mushrooms
  • Adding in cauliflower rice
  • Adding in sweet potato
  • Adding in Vermicelli rice noodles
  • Omitting the basil
  • Using more curry for more spice
  • Using a combo of spicy peppers
  • Mixing in spinach or kale to wilt at the end