Fragrant Thai Coconut Shrimp Soup with Garlic and Ginger
Home » COOK » Recipes » International Recipes » Thai »Thai Coconut Shrimp Soup is ideal as a light lunch packed with flavor, or as a delectable starter – just be careful it doesn’t outshine your main course! Combining the shrimp, cloves, ginger, red curry paste, and coconut milk creates this enticing bowl, which not only tastes divine but is also a visual masterpiece. For a more fulfilling meal, serve with rice on the side.
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Thai Coconut Shrimp Soup
The full ingredients list and instructions are found in the printable recipe card at the end of this post. I highly recommend reading all the way through for any tips or substitute suggestions, to ensure that you have any specialized ingredients and equipment required and that you understand the steps and timings involved.
Thai chef McDang characterizes Thai food as demonstrating “intricacy; attention to detail; texture; color; taste; and the use of ingredients with medicinal benefits, as well as good flavor”, as well as care being given to the food’s appearance, smell and context.”
And as someone who loves Thai food, I can say that this is a great way to describe what this cuisine is all about.
With strong aromatic ingredients like garlic, ginger, and limes, alongside spicy elements like chilies, Thai food can be an acquired taste, but it’s a taste that is not forgotten!
Sadly, we don’t eat Thai food that much, as many dishes contain coconut – which my husband has an aversion to – but if this is not an issue for you (along with all of the other traditional ingredients!) then you simply must make this wonderfully fragrant and delicious Thai coconut shrimp soup.
For a more substantial meal, add a bowl of rice on the side, or enjoy it as part of a 2-course or 3-course meal, and serve a smaller bowl as a starter.
Ingredients & Equipment Used In This Recipe
While most ingredients can be bought in grocery stores, for your convenience, any specialized or notable ingredients (and equipment) needed for this recipe have been listed below and linked to Amazon or other stores if available online.
It does not include staple ingredients such as oil, salt, and pepper, as you’re likely to have those in your kitchen already. The complete list of ingredients with measurements is found in the recipe card.
- Protein – Shrimp
- Fresh Produce – Green Onions (Spring Onions or Scallions), Carrots, Red Bell Pepper, Garlic, Ginger, Baby Spinach, Limes, Cilantro
- Coconut Oil
- Red Curry Paste
- Coconut Milk
- Chicken Broth/Stock
- Cooked Rice – optional, to serve.
Recipes on The Purple Pumpkin Blog use both cup measurements and/or weighted measurements. American cups and kitchen food scales are handy pieces of equipment to have in your kitchen as it means you’ll be able to make all of the different recipes on my blog. I try to give American, imperial, and metric measurements in my recipes. Please note, you can mix cup measurements with weighted measurements, but never mix imperial (pounds, ounces, pints, etc.,) with metric (kilograms, grams, litres, etc.,).
More Recipes Using Shrimp
One of the hero ingredients in this dish is shrimp, so here are some more recipes using the same:
- Shrimp Slaw Sandwich with Garlic Lemon Aioli
- Cornflake + Coconut Shrimp
- Shrimp Fajita Bowls with Cilantro-Lime Rice
More Soup Recipes
Looking for more soups to make? Check these recipes out next:
- Vichyssoise Recipe- A Chilled Creamy Leek & Potato Soup
- Italian Meatball Soup Recipe
- Authentic Greek-Cypriot Avgolemono – Egg Lemon Soup
Recipe Tips
- Total prep and cook time for this recipe is based on preparing the soup, only. Certain varieties of rice, such as white basmati or jasmine, can be prepared in under 30 minutes, while others, such as whole-grain brown rice, will take longer.
How Do I Make Thai Coconut Shrimp Soup?
Check out the printable recipe card below with full ingredients and instructions. Any demonstration photos do not print out to save your ink.
Thai Coconut Shrimp Soup
Thai Coconut Shrimp Soup is ideal as a light lunch packed with flavor, or as a delectable starter - just be careful it doesn’t outshine your main course!
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp coconut oil
- 1 lb (450g) medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
- Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
- 3 large green onions, chopped
- 2 medium carrots, diced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 2-3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tsp fresh ginger, grated
- 2-3 Tbsp red curry paste
- 1 (13.5-oz/400ml) can full-fat coconut milk
- 3 cups chicken or vegetable broth/stock
- 3 cups baby spinach, roughly chopped
- 2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- 3 cups cooked rice, to serve, optional
Instructions
- Heat the coconut oil in a large high-sided skillet over medium heat. Add the shrimp and season with salt and black pepper, to taste. Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally until the shrimp turns pink and slightly opaque. Remove shrimp from skillet and transfer to a plate. Set aside.
- In the same skillet, add the green onions, carrots, and bell pepper. Season with salt and black pepper, to taste and stir to combine. Cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the veggies soften and develop a bit of color.
- Stir in the garlic and ginger and continue cooking for 1-2 minutes just until fragrant.
- Add the curry paste, coconut milk, and broth and stir until thoroughly combined. Bring to a boil, and then reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer for 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until heated through.
- Stir in the spinach and simmer for 2 minutes until wilted. Return the shrimp to the skillet and add the fresh lime juice and cilantro. Season with additional salt and black pepper, to taste, and stir to combine. Serve immediately over steamed rice. Enjoy!
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 650Total Fat: 24gSaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 334mgSodium: 1950mgCarbohydrates: 50gFiber: 3gSugar: 4gProtein: 56g
This site uses Nutritionix to provide estimated nutrition. Nutritional information is always approximate and will depend on the quality of ingredients used and serving sizes. If you need exact calories and macros, please do your own calculations.
Make It A Full Meal
You’ve made the main dish, but what about the rest of the courses?
Here are additional recipes to make a full meal for a dinner party or special occasion:
- Appetizer: Spicy Mango Salsa Recipe
- Salad: Asian Cabbage Salad with Warm Spicy Peanut Dressing
- Beverage: Fresh & Delicious Passion Tea Lemonade
- Dessert: Pineapple Upside Down Cake Fudge
There are 500+ Recipes on The Purple Pumpkin Blog for you to enjoy – please feel free to check them out too.