Coconut Turmeric Chicken Soup

$8.53 recipe / $1.42 serving
by Beth - Budget Bytes
4.90 from 68 votes
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It’s self care Saturday over here at the Budget Bytes house and I’m eating this super cozy Coconut Turmeric Chicken Soup. With chilly temps outside I knew I wanted to make a pot of chicken soup, but decided to change up my classic version by combining it with my favorite aspects of my Golden Coconut Lentil Soup. The combo is absolutely FANTASTIC! Warm, cozy, creamy, and aaaahmazing.

A big bowl of Coconut Turmeric Chicken Soup topped with rice and cilantro.

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How to Serve Coconut Turmeric Chicken Soup

This soup itself is awesome, but I topped mine with a small scoop of jasmine rice, a little fresh cilantro, and wedge of lime. You could also serve it up with a piece of naan bread for dipping into the delicious broth.

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Coconut Turmeric Chicken Soup

4.90 from 68 votes
Warm, earthy, creamy and delicious! This Coconut Turmeric Chicken Soup is a fun twist on your comforting classic homemade chicken soup. 
Close up of a spoonful of Coconut Turmeric Chicken Soup
Servings 6 1.3 cups each
Prep 10 minutes
Cook 40 minutes
Total 50 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 yellow onion ($0.21)
  • 2 cloves garlic ($0.16)
  • 1/2 Tbsp grated fresh ginger ($0.15)
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil (or coconut oil) ($0.32)
  • 1/2 Tbsp turmeric ($0.15)
  • 1/2 tsp cumin ($0.05)
  • 1 pinch crushed red pepper ($0.02)
  • 1/2 lb. carrots (about 3) ($0.45)
  • 1/2 bunch celery (about 4 stalks) ($0.65)
  • 1 skinless chicken breast (about 3/4 lb.)* ($2.97)
  • 3 cups chicken broth** ($0.39)
  • 1 13oz. can coconut milk ($1.99)
  • 1/2 tsp salt (or to taste) ($0.02)

Optional for Serving

  • 3 cups cooked jasmine rice ($0.53)
  • 1 handful fresh cilantro ($0.25)
  • 1 lime ($0.22)
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Instructions 

  • Dice the onion, mince the garlic, and grate the ginger. Add the onion, garlic, and ginger to a large soup pot with the olive oil and sauté over medium heat until the onions are soft and translucent.
  • While the onion, garlic, and ginger are sautéing, peel and chop the carrots, and chop the celery.
  • Once the onions are soft, add the turmeric, cumin, and red pepper flakes. Sauté for about minute more to toast the spices. Add the carrots and celery and sauté for a few minutes more, or just until they begin to soften.
  • Add the chicken breast to the pot along with the chicken broth. Place a lid on the pot, turn the heat up to medium-high, and bring the broth to a boil. Once boiling, turn the heat down to medium-low, and let the broth simmer for 30 minutes.
  • Once the chicken and vegetables have simmered in the broth for 30 minutes, remove the chicken breast and shred it with two forks. Return the shredded meat to the soup and add the coconut milk. Stir to combine and heat through over medium-low heat. Taste the soup and add salt to taste (I added 1/2 tsp). 
  • To serve, ladle about 1 1/3 cups soup into a bowl and top with 1/2 cup cooked rice, a few fresh cilantro leaves, and a wedge of lime.

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Notes

*Bone-in or boneless chicken breast can be used. If using a bone-in breast, simply remove the bones as you shred the meat after simmering.
**I use Better Than Bouillon concentrate to make my broth, which is much less expensive than boxed or canned broths.

Nutrition

Serving: 1.3CupsCalories: 364kcalCarbohydrates: 31gProtein: 17gFat: 20gSodium: 729mgFiber: 2g
Read our full nutrition disclaimer here.
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Close up of a spoonful of Coconut Turmeric Chicken Soup

You can find this red 6-quart Amazon Basics Dutch Oven in the “cookware” section of my Amazon Shop.

How to Make Coconut Turmeric Chicken Soup – Step by Step Photos

Sautéed Onion, Garlic, and Ginger in the pot with turmeric, cumin, and red pepper

Begin by dicing one onion, mincing two cloves of garlic, and grating about 1/2 Tbsp fresh ginger. Add the onion, ginger, and garlic to a large soup pot with 2 Tbsp olive oil and sauté over medium heat until the onions are soft and translucent. Once soft, add 1/2 Tbsp turmeric, 1/2 tsp cumin, and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Sauté for about one minute more to toast the spices. 

Carrots and Celery in Pot

While the onion, garlic, and ginger are sautéing, peel and chop 1/2 lb. carrots (about 3 medium carrots), and chop 1/2 bunch celery (about four large stalks). Add them to the pot and continue to sauté for a few minutes more, or just until they begin to soften.

Add Chicken Breast and Broth to the Pot

Add one chicken breast to the pot along with 3 cups chicken broth. It’s okay if the chicken broth doesn’t completely cover the chicken. Place a lid on the pot, turn the heat up to medium-high, and bring the broth to a boil. Once boiling, turn the heat down to medium-low and let the pot simmer for 30 minutes.

Shred Cooked Chicken Breast

After 30 minutes of simmering, remove the chicken breast and use two forks to shred it.

Add Coconut Milk to Soup

Return the shredded chicken to the pot and add one 13oz. can of coconut milk. Stir to combine and heat through over medium-low. The fat from the coconut milk will look a little clumpy until it heats up and melts into the soup.

Finished Coconut Turmeric Chicken Soup in a ladle

Once heated through, give it a taste and add salt as needed. I added 1/2 tsp, but this amount will depend largely on the salt content of the broth you used.

Coconut Turmeric Chicken Soup being eaten with rice and cilantro

Serve the Coconut Turmeric Chicken Soup with a small scoop of cooked jasmine rice, a few fresh cilantro sprigs, and a wedge of lime.

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  1. I love this recipe! I make it vegan by using a can of chickpeas instead of chicken breast and it turns out so good every time

  2. Awesome soup! I used Costco rotisserie chicken so only cooked 30 minutes ro keep carrots and celery somewhat crispy. My husband, who is NOT an adventurous eater, says I should make it again. That is automatically a 5 star recipe.

  3. Absolute winner! For modifications, I left out the onion and garlic to be low FODMAP, and literally just put all remaining ingredients aside from thr coconut milk into the crock pot for four hours on high. Then I shredded the chicken, put it back in, and added the coconut milk. I also added a block of rice noodles at that time too! Will definitely make again, and will probably add some cayenne and more Cumin.

  4. This was SO delicious! We had this with toasted homemade sourdough rather than rice (just what we had on hand). Everyone went back for seconds!

  5. Delicious. I doubled the seasonings but otherwise minimal modifications. Really enjoyed it.

  6. AMAZING!!! Tastes almost like thai yellow curry – but soo much simpler to make & so much more affordable than takeout!! I make this when I’m craving thai takeout and it definitely hits the spot.

    Also some tweaks I love: adding way more garlic (I do this to every recipe ever), adding diced potatoes, and adding a bit more turmeric and cumin.

    Served with white rice this is sooo good!

  7. One of the best soups I’ve ever had. Since I made this for my family I’ve probably made it at least 6 more times since then and we all love it!!!