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Thai Coconut Curry Chicken Soup

Thai Coconut Curry Chicken Soup reads umami 7.0, salinity 5.3 and funk & ferment 5.2 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Thai main, about 23 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

• Umami & Savory — 8.5 / 10
• Sweet & Fruity — 4.5 / 10
• Sour & Bright — 6.0 / 10
• Bitter & Earthy — 1.7 / 10
• Rich & Fat — 5.6 / 10
• Aromatic & Spice — 4.9 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Umami 7.0 · Salinity 5.3 · Funk & Ferment 5.2 · Richness 4.8 · Sourness 4.6 · Citrus 4.6 · Allium 4.2 · Marine & Briny 4.2 · Sweetness 3.9 · Warm Spice 2.9 · Herbaceous 2.8 · Nutty 2.6 · Fruity 2.0 · Floral 1.7 · Heat 1.7 · Earthy 1.6 · Bitterness 0.7

What's in it (15)

• boneless chicken — 680 g
• vegetable oil — 27 g
• yellow onion — 110 g
• garlic — 9 g
• ginger — 15 g
• yellow curry — 44 g
• chicken broth — 946 g
• coconut milk — 765 g
• fish sauce — 30 g
• brown sugar — 13 g
• white mushrooms — 227 g
• red bell pepper — 100 g
• lime juice — 30 g
• salt — 5 g
• cilantro leaves — 15 g

Time & effort: about 23 min (21 min active) · effort: involved

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 109.7 kcal, 8.6 g protein, 7.5 g fat, 3.5 g carbs

Dietary: Contains meat · Contains dairy — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (8 steps)

1. Pat the chicken thighs dry and cut into 1-inch pieces; set aside.
2. Heat the vegetable oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent, 4-5 minutes.
3. Add the garlic and ginger; cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
4. Add the curry paste and cook, stirring and mashing it into the fat, until darkened and very fragrant, 1-2 minutes.
5. Pour in the chicken broth, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot, then whisk in the coconut milk, fish sauce, and brown sugar. Bring to a gentle simmer.
6. Add the chicken, mushrooms, and bell pepper. Simmer gently, uncovered, keeping the bubbles small so the coconut milk doesn't break, until the chicken is opaque throughout and reaches 165F, 10-12 minutes.
7. Remove the pot from the heat as soon as the chicken is done, then stir in the lime juice and salt. Taste and add a splash more fish sauce or lime juice until the salty-sour-sweet balance tastes right to you.
8. Ladle into bowls and top each with a generous handful of cilantro.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

• Thai Coconut Turkey Meatballs in Red Curry — Thai
• Yellow Curry Chicken and Potatoes — Thai
• Coconut Curry Shrimp — Thai
• Thai Coconut Curry Mussels — Thai
• Thai Coconut Curry Noodle Soup with Chicken (Khao Soi Style) — Thai

Keep reading: what umami, salinity, funk & ferment mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.