Thai Wai Coconut Curry Recipe

This Thai coconut curry recipe combines creamy coconut milk, tender chicken, and fragrant curry seasonings for a rich, comforting meal. Made with Frontier Soups Thai Wai Coconut Curry Mix, it's an easy homemade dinner with bold Thai-inspired flavor.

Ingredients

You Will Need

1 Thai Wai Coconut Curry Mix
2 Tbsp. oil
4 cups chicken broth (32 oz.)
3-4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (12 oz.) or 2-3 chicken breasts (12 oz.)
2 cans (14 oz.) unsweetened coconut milk (27-28 oz. total)
(optional garnish: squeeze of lime)

Instructions

Here’s What You Do

In a 4-quart pot, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken thighs and sauté 4-5 minutes per side. Remove chicken to a cutting board and cool.
Stir in soup mix and broth, deglaze pot (scrape bits from bottom), and bring to boil.
Dice or shred cooled chicken, add to pot, reduce heat to simmer, cover, and cook for 15 minutes.
Stir in coconut milk, cover, and simmer over low heat for 10 minutes and serve.
Optional: Serve with a squeeze of lime.

Soup will continue to thicken as it rests, add more broth or water to thin as desired. If using pre-cooked/roasted chicken, simply sauté contents of soup mix quickly in oil then add broth to begin recipe.

Got leftovers? Learn how to cool, store, and reheat soup safely in our guide to soup storage and food safety.

Cooking & Nutrition Tips

Use the tips below to customize nutrition, boost flavor, or stretch the soup to fit your needs.

Reducing Sodium

Broth:

To reduce sodium, use an alternative broth such as: low-sodium, organic, stock, bone broth, unsalted, or try making a homemade broth. See chart below to compare.

All our mixes contain no added salt, only what occurs naturally in the ingredients. In the interest of transparency, we use regular (full-sodium) store-bought broth to create our recipes and calculate the nutrition panels — which is why the sodium levels may appear higher than you desire.

While we don’t like it from a health standpoint, salt is a major flavor booster. If you are using reduced sodium broth and looking to enhance flavor, try adding these depending on your preferences: fresh ground pepper, herbs & spices, lemon juice, garlic, onion, red pepper flakes, hot-sauce, flavored vinegar.

Variety (1 cup)	Sodium (mg)	% Daily Value
Standard Broth	860 mg	37%
Low-Sodium Broth	570 mg	25%
Organic Broth	550 mg	24%
Stock	510 mg	22%
Bone Broth	400 mg	17%
Organic Low-Sodium Broth	100 mg	4%
Unsalted Broth	35 mg	2%

Boosting Protein

Replace one or both cans of coconut milk with cottage cheese (ideally full fat 4%). If replacing one 14 oz. can of coconut milk with cottage cheese, use ~ 10 oz. cottage cheese and 4 oz. broth or water. Double those amounts if replacing both cans of coconut milk. If using cottage cheese, we highly recommend you: 1) liquify/smooth entirely in blender or with immersion blender before adding, and 2) turn off the heat and let the soup cool slightly before adding so it does not curdle and/or lose its silky texture. See chart below for nutritional info.
Replace one or both cans of coconut milk with Greek yogurt. If replacing one 14 oz. can of coconut milk with Greek yogurt, use ~ 10 oz. Greek yogurt and 4 oz. broth or water. Double those amounts if replacing both cans of coconut milk. Yogurt curdles easily under high heat so remove from heat and let soups cool slightly before adding.
Add additional chicken, you can add 12-20 oz. chicken to the recipe.
Add a can of your favorite bean such as black, white/cannellini, lentil, chickpea, navy, etc.
Swap standard broth for bone broth.

Nutrient	4% Cottage Cheese (1 Cup / ~226g)	Unsweetened Canned Coconut Milk (1 Cup / ~240g)
Protein	25 g	4.6 g
Calories	222 kcal	445 kcal
Total Fat	9.7 g	48.2 g
Sodium	696 mg	36 mg

Nutritious Options/Swaps

Replace full-fat coconut milk with light coconut milk or a mix of chicken broth and Greek yogurt.
Sauté hard vegetables (sweet potatoes, carrots, cauliflower, onions) with soup mix early to build a heartier curry with deeper flavor.
Stir in soft greens (spinach, kale) and/or frozen veggies (peas, corn) in the last few minutes of simmering to boost nutrition.
Top with hemp hearts, pumpkin seeds, or nutritional yeast.
Toss in whatever vegetables you have in the fridge and simmer with soup mix.

Recipe Variations

Looking to switch things up? A few simple tweaks can make this recipe your own.

Lighter Coconut Curry Soup

You Will Also Need:

2 Tbsp oil
4 cups chicken broth (32 oz)
3–4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (12 oz) or 2–3 chicken breasts (12 oz)
1 can (14 oz) unsweetened coconut milk
1 can (4 oz) diced mild green chiles

Here’s What You Do:

In a 4-quart pot, bring broth to a boil.
Stir in contents of the Thai Wai Coconut Curry Mix and shredded chicken.
Return to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes on low heat.
Stir in coconut milk and green chiles.
Simmer again, covered, for 10 minutes and serve.
Optional: Serve with a squeeze of fresh lime.

Coconut Curry Seafood Variation

You Will Also Need:

4 cups chicken broth (32 oz)
¾ lb halibut cut into 1-inch cubes or shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 can (14 oz) unsweetened coconut milk
1 can (4 oz) diced mild green chiles

Here’s What You Do:

In a 4-quart pot, bring broth to a boil.
Stir in contents of the soup mix and add the fish or shrimp.
Return to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes on low heat.
Stir in coconut milk and green chiles.
Simmer again, covered, for 15 minutes and serve.

Turn Coconut Curry Soup Into a Meal:
Serve over jasmine rice, brown rice, quinoa, or rice noodles for a heartier meal. Spoon the creamy coconut curry soup over your favorite grain or noodles and finish with fresh lime and cilantro for a bright, flavorful bowl.

Shrimp Swap:
Replace the chicken with cooked shrimp for a quick seafood version.

Rotisserie Shortcut:
Use shredded rotisserie chicken and add extra broth to stretch the soup further.

Turn Up the Curry:
Stir in a spoonful of red curry paste or extra curry seasoning for deeper spice.

Sweet Chili Kick:
Add Thai sweet chili sauce or your favorite Thai hot sauce to boost the heat and sweetness.

Citrus Herb Finish:
Serve with fresh lime juice, lime zest, and chopped cilantro to brighten the broth.

Butternut Curry Soup:
Add diced butternut squash for a naturally sweet, hearty variation.

Lighter Coconut Broth:
Use one can of coconut milk and replace the remaining liquid with water or broth for a slightly lighter soup.

Inspired by our customers. Thanks to Debra, Zoe, Kelly S., Shanna, Deborah, Edward S., and Chloe for sharing their ideas. Have a favorite twist of your own? Send us an email or leave a review on the product page.

Dietary Adaptations

These mixes are flexible by design. Use the adaptations below to meet your dietary needs or cooking preferences.

Vegan/Vegetarian

Vegan Recipe #1: Chickpea Version

You Will Also Need:

4 cups vegetable broth (32 oz.)
1 can (14-16 oz.) chickpeas/garbanzo beans
2 cans (14 oz.) unsweetened coconut milk (27-28 oz. total)

Here’s What You Do:

In 4-quart pot, add broth, drained chickpeas, and bring to boil.
Reduce heat to medium-low, stir in soup mix, cover, and cook for 15 minutes.
Stir in coconut milk, cover, and simmer over low heat for 10 minutes and serve.
Optional: Serve with a squeeze of lime

Soup will continue to thicken as it rests, add more broth or water to thin as desired.

Vegan Recipe #2: Cauliflower & Frozen Spinach Version

You Will Also Need:

4 cups vegetable broth (32 oz.)
1/2 head of Cauliflower chopped
1 box frozen spinach or 2 cups of chopped fresh spinach
1 can (14 oz.) unsweetened coconut milk

Here’s What You Do:

In 4-quart pot, add broth bring to boil.
Reduce heat to medium-low, stir in cauliflower, spinach and soup mix, cover, and cook for 15 minutes.
Stir in coconut milk, cover, and simmer over low heat for 10 minutes and serve.
Simmer over low heat for 10 minutes and serve.

Gluten Free

This soup is naturally gluten free when prepared as directed. No special substitutions are needed.

Dairy Free

This soup is naturally dairy free when prepared as directed. No special substitutions are needed.

Cooking Methods

Slow Cooker

We do not recommend using a slow cooker due to the short cooking time on the stovetop.

Pressure Cooker

We do not recommend using a pressure cooker due to the short cooking time on the stovetop.